THE formal seal has been placed on a new Ilkley Parish Council Awards Fund which could add a massive boost to community projects.

Councillors voted, with one abstention, at their December meeting, to go ahead with the fund, which is the first stage in the body adopting more power from Bradford City Council.

The fund - which will be raised through a new precept of approximately £3.50 per elector - should provide a community chest of between £50,000 and £60,000.

Coun Michael Gibbons, chairman of the council, told the Gazette: "I am pleased that the council are happy to move forward on this and set up the awards committee, which, of course, is in its first stages of operation.

"This is an area of help to the community that the parish council has been unable to offer before and from 2002 we are looking forward to providing an extra level of assistance to the community at a nominal cost per head.

"The committee members will be aware that these arrangements are new to the parish council but I am sure that with the vast experience that's held by the councillors, who will be involved, that applications will be dealt with in a very competent and efficient manner."

Existing bodies and those wishing to establish a community organisation will be able to apply for a portion of the cash - from as early as January.

Coun Gibbons said: "Early in the New Year we expect to see applications from a whole variety of groups requesting help and funding for help with projects in the community and these will be looked at with great interest.

"We anticipate applications from existing groups but also those who require some initial help in the formation of their work and maybe we will be able to offer further help when the group has established itself.

"The committee will need to be functional by March and that is when we expect to hold an initial meeting."