OVER £1.5 million in grants has been secured for regeneration projects in Shipley and Keighley.

Each town will receive £750,000 each from the government’s Towns Fund scheme which is designed to drive long-term economic and productivity growth.

Administered by Bradford Council, the funding is intended to deliver shovel-ready projects and is in addition to more substantial plans to invest £25m in the towns.

The council wanted to ensure as many people as possible shared in the benefits of the scheme, so the authority selected a number of smaller projects for the submission.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “I’d like to thank our officers for putting together such an excellent set of shovel-ready projects in a very short amount of time. We’re delighted to receive this grant which will deliver significant improvements to key heritage assets in Shipley and Keighley as well as our parks and green spaces.”

Shipley projects include:

• A new path/cycle route Linking Shipley and Baildon to Saltaire (£72,000)

• Investment in local parks including Northcliffe Park (£155,000)

• Improved footpaths in Saltaire (£246,483)

• Adding a new bus gate to Shipley Market Square (£40,000)

• Improving CCTV in Shipley town centre (£54,000)

• Developing small parklet spaces (£28,000)

• Refurbishing Victoria Hall in Saltaire (£85,767)

• Improved walking routes to local schools and other green spaces in Windhill (£25,000)

• Bus shelters real-time information boards (£43,750).

Shipley town clerk Joe Ashton said the creation of a new £72,000 path/cycle route on the north side of the River Aire east towards Thackley would “open up new opportunities”.

“If proper paths are put in people will use them,” said Mr Ashton. “If they can potentially enjoy other things, a new path would open up opportunities for people.”

The £155,000 in funding for parks will include Windy Hill Recreation Ground, Crowgill Park, Otley Road Playing Fields, Hirstwood Recreation Ground and Northcliffe Park. Improvements include tree planting and the introduction of outdoor gym and play equipment.

“Parks like Northcliffe are fantastic places to visit but they are not as well known as Roberts Park, which has had some recent investment,” said Mr Ashton.

“The refurbishments to Victoria Hall involve making roof repairs and installing new light fixtures to preserve and enhance the integrity of the building.”

Keighley projects include:

• Better CCTV cameras in the town centre (£83,000)

• Improvements to local parks including Cliffe Castle and Devonshire Park (£220,500)

• Developing small parklet spaces (£36,050)

• Investment in Keighley Worth Valley Railway (£86,000)

• Equipment for the town’s Manufacturing Industrial Centre Excellence at Keighley College (£123,000)

• New bus real-time information boards (£96,250)

• A pocket park at Postman’s Walk (£90,000)

• Creation of a community garden on Devonshire Street (£15,200).