It would be a sad loss for Bradford district if the Shipley Glen Cable Tramway was to close. Yet that is what the man who leases it from the Council has said might well happen in the year 2002 if something is not done to improve the facilities around it.

The Glen Tramway has been an important tourist attraction since Victorian days and continues to be one of the special reasons for visitors to this area to head for Shipley Glen after they have visited Saltaire.

Mr Leak and his team of volunteers have worked wonders to restore the tramway to its former glory. But what surrounds it is less appealing. What is upsetting Mr Leak is the neglect of other facilities at Shipley Glen.

His request for the Council to provide decent toilet facilities for staff, volunteers and passengers is not unreasonable. The present toilets on the Glen are in an appalling state. Mr Leak also wants railings, which were removed from beside the tramway in the 1980s, to be restored and lighting on the path up the side of the tramway, out of order for eight years, to be repaired.

The Council says it is unable to provide financial help to support Mr Leak's business. But that does not seem to be what he is seeking. He wants the area in which the tramway operates to be upgraded. That surely should be the Council's wish too. Many would argue that it should fully fund all the necessary work. At the very least it could improve the toilets on the Glen to make them less offensive, and look into ways of replacing the long-lost railings.

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