Welcome to the award winning Ilkley Chat!

Peter Mate & Anne Sutcliffe (Rotary) and Dan Goodey & Adam Clark (Nell Bank) Nell Bank Outdoor Education Centre, nature’s classroom based in Ilkley, is starting 2026 with a simple aim: to help more children access the outdoors, with all the confidence and wellbeing that comes with it. In December, Anne Sutcliffe, Rotary District Governor (Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire), visited Nell Bank to present a £5,000 cheque to Head of Centre Dan Goodey, supported through the Rotary

Catherine Newman and Rachel Joyce An author event at The Grove Bookshop has proved so popular, it's moving to a larger venue. An Evening with Catherine Newman and Rachel Joyce  will now take place at Church House, All Saints' Church, Ilkley, from 7-8.30pm on Thursday, 5 February, with more tickets now added. The two authors will be in conversation with Grove Bookshop bookseller and writer Emily Devane, about the theme of family in their novels. Fans of Sandwich and We All Wan

Lexus Ilkley Open is back in June [Photo: Jack Gray] While we’ve only just said goodbye to 2025, the team at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (ILTSC) are already well underway with planning Ilkley’s biggest week of the year, the Lexus Ilkley Open. From the 7 th  – 14 th  June 2026, star tennis players will take to Ilkley’s award-winning grass courts. Attracting players ranked within the top 100 in the World, the growth this event has seen since its beginning in 2015 is outs

A group of residents have raised concerns over the 20mph scheme implemented around Ilkley, arguing it doesn't comply with Department of Transport (DfT) Regulations throughout and questioning whether Ilkley Town Council should now pay the agreed £75k+ to Bradford Council, who have issued a completion certificate. The 20mph scheme is on the Ilkley Town Council agenda for Monday's full council meeting, which is being held at the Masonic Hall on Cunliffe Rd from 7.30pm. Members

Ilkley-based digital compliance specialist SmartSearch has completed the acquisition of Credas Technologies Ltd. The combined business will deliver enhanced flexibility and innovation, helping regulated firms across sectors such as financial services, legal, accountancy, property, and insurance to manage risk and meet evolving KYC and AML requirements. By uniting Credas’ cutting-edge technology and trusted brand with SmartSearch’s proven reputation and best-in-class platform,

Bradford Council has advised that that due to the icy weather conditions and weather warning in place, its services and facilities will continue to be disrupted tomorrow and across the weekend. Passenger Transport Services (PTS) will not operate tomorrow {Friday 9th January). The service runs school minibuses and taxis and a spokesperson for PTS said: "In light of the weather warnings from 17:00 today, we have made the decision not to operate Passenger Transport Services tomo

Police are appealing for any information following the theft overnight of a Ford transit van from Wellington Road in Ilkley. The White Ford Transit was stolen between 19:00 on the 7th and 07:45 on the 8th January 2026. The registration number of the van is ME19WEC. If you have any information, or CCTV or dash cam footage of the vehicle between those times please call 101 and quote 13260012593.

Have your say on the future of housing across Ilkley and the wider Bradford district. A major public consultation about the future of housing across the Bradford district was launched this week, giving residents the chance to shape how their communities grow, change and thrive in the years ahead. Bradford Council is inviting people who live, work or have a stake in the district to share what matters most to them about housing from affordability and energy efficiency, to the d

A new cancer support group is launching in Ilkley next week. The Cancer Peer Support Group will offer a safe, welcoming space for anyone affected by cancer - whether you’re a patient, survivor, or caregiver. The first weekly session is on Monday 12th January at IG Medical in the Springs Medical Centre on Springs Lane in Ilkley between 2pm and 3.30pm. Sessions on 2nd February and 2nd March will be held online. Organised by Keighley Healthy Living [KHL], the group is open to an

Ilkley Rugby Club's junior squad ‘Ilkley Colts’ now look the part in their new kit. The squad now boasts twenty six local lads aged 16-18, they have played seven matches this season, winning six, and currently sit third in what might be the tightest Yorkshire League since records began. Announcing its sponsorship, Business Waste has teamed up other Yorkshire businesses including Attis, Ripon Ground Care and Cardinal, and community group, Ilkley Pride & Diversity, sponsorship

Revised on-street parking charges in Ilkley will be introduced from Monday 19 January 2026, Bradford Council has confirmed today. Most of the the free one hour parking will be removed, residential and commercial streets will offer a mixture of short, medium and long stay between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week including bank holidays, priced at £1 per hour with maximum stay periods applying to blue badge holders. Bradford Council say the changes will introduce a simplified tar

Founder of Thrive Learning and English teacher Melissa Watson An Ilkley-based qualified teacher and English specialist has launched a tutoring service to support students through the mental and emotional challenges of education.   Thrive Learning offers bespoke tutoring for students wanting additional GCSE support and those struggling with a classroom environment.   Founder of Thrive Learning and English teacher Melissa Watson said:   “Many young people find school-based lear