UPDATE 4 : 31 October 1998  'SENDING OUT SHOOTS'

Proposers of the scheme and representatives from Ilkley Parish Council have discussed the proposals with Bradford Council Recreation Division managers and Councillor Kettlewell of the Sport & Recreation Sub-Committee. The Principal Manager of Outdoor Amenities, David Talbot, stated that whilst the Council could not commit capital expenditure to the project, they are 'impressed and supportive' of the proposals, offering to assist with site clearance (tree surgery and provision of skips) and to provide technical advice on construction work. Bradford Council may also be able to arrange for Community Service Volunteers to help clear undergrowth such as bracken and gorse.

As has been anticipated from its conception, much of the impetus for the scheme will have to come from local volunteers and fundraising efforts, plus sponsorship and grant aid achieved via the formation of a Trust to oversee and administer the project. Proposers are to discuss this aspect fully with Bradford Council's Legal Services Section.

We are expecting to pursue the scheme in a number of phases, each of which would concentrate on a particular area of the site or on an individual feature of interest. The first phase, which we would hope to be completed in 2000AD is the Millennium Maze.

This feature, to be laid out in stone setts on the site of the former putting green, would combine aesthetic appeal, an enjoyable recreational challenge, and possibly the inclusion of monuments relating the feature to an evolutionary, spiritual theme. The maze design is based on the fylfot symbol, used on the famous 'Swastika Stone' of Ilkley Moor, and would be surrounded by a rejuvenated setting of young trees, restored pathways and new seating.

A three-dimensional walk-through and fly-around computer simulation of the proposed Millennium Maze feature has been completed, from which a variety of views have been generated to illustrate the proposed feature. Cost estimates for the construction work are being obtained, and it is envisaged that the maze path itself could be financed 'by the metre' from individual or group donations.

We intend to mount a display of the project proposals at various local sites, and to hold a public meeting early in 1999 to plan and organise a timetable for the work. We are seeking offers of help in any of the following ways: