A JOINT project between a parish council and a rotary group is aiming to have a defibrillator machine installed in Main Street, Haworth.

Funding for the machine and its secure cabinet was secured by the Rotary Club of Haworth & Worth Valley.

The club asked Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council to take on the supervision of the device once it is installed.

The council’s environment working group (EWG) agreed to this, and will also meet the £200 installation cost.

A full meeting of the parish council accepted the EWG’s proposal, though council chairman, councillor John Huxley said he was a member of the Rotary Club and declared an interest in the item.

Councillor Angel Kershaw, chairman of the EWG, said that once agreement is reached with Bradford Council it is hoped to be able to locate the defibrillator will be located in the visitor information centre on Main Street.

She said: “A number of outlying communities now have these machines. We do have a longer wait for ambulances than city centres and larger towns. We’ve agreed to pay the installation costs and the Rotary Club wanted an organisation which is likely to be around for a long time to continue looking after the machine.

“Summer is coming and we have a number of events taking place in the village with a large number of visitors due to come here. Ideally we’d like the defibrillator to be in place by then.

“I do think it’s vital to have this, because Defibrillators have saved lives in other places – there’s no doubt about it.

“If it’s a case of saving lives then it is something we’re happy to fund.”