Let’s dig for victory

Consumers, growers, farmers, retailers and caterers have been invited to a public meeting, at the town’s Victoria Hall, on Saturday.

The event is being organised by the Transition Keighley group, with backing from Bradford Neighbourhood Support Services.

It aims to encourage local people and business to grow more food closer to where it is consumed.

The group wants to “re-build local food networks” to help reduce CO2 emissions and make food supplies less vulnerable to high fuel costs.

The “Dig for Victory” style campaign will start as plans to introduce hydro-electric power to Keighley met with an enthusiastic response.

Strong interest was shown at a public meeting, organised by Transition Keighley, attended by residents, councillors and business representatives to outline how a hydro-electric plant could be installed on the River Worth.

Of Saturday’s meeting Marion Pencavel, a veteran local food activist and keen allotment user, said: “People are becoming more concerned about the food on offer from the big supermarkets.

“More of what we eat is air freighted and trucked hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles.

“We saw what happened to food prices last year when oil hit 146 dollars a barrel. UK oil supply peaked in 1999 and world oil supplies will peak in the next ten years. Unless we take action now we are walking into a national catastrophe.

“There is a lot of support for more good quality, locally grown and affordable food to be grown and sold.”

She added a recent report by the Soil Association had concluded the UK was only capable of meeting 58 per cent of its food needs.

The report also noted that Britain imported 90 per cent of its fruit.

Another organiser of this Saturday’s event, Bob Thorp, said: “At the beginning of what could be a deep and long recession, it makes economic sense, as well as environmental sense, to support local farmers and shops where possible.”

Saturday’s event runs from 9.45am-3pm. Entry is free and there will be complimentary tea and coffee.

l At the outbreak of the World War Two people were encouraged to “Dig for Victory” by turning their gardens into mini-allotments. By 1943 more than a million tons of vegetables were being produced.

The inset poster, in the headline, is on show at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, in London.

l The hydro-electric power meeting — at the town’s Temple Row Centre — was told members of Transition Keighley group had drawn up a draft document outlining how a plant could be installed on the River Worth and its tributaries.

The meeting’s organisers said the plant would be built and run by a community-owned business or social enterprise – similar to a co-operative.

It would use ‘archimedes screw’ technology on a weir to convert fast flowing water into renewable electricity. Any profits from the business would then be used to finance other community projects.

Organiser Bob Thorp added: “This level of community interest is a great start to our efforts to make Keighley a green town where we can take pride in doing our bit for the environment.”

Among those who attended was Councillor Steve Pullen, a representative for Keighley East Ward, which is where the new hydro scheme could be installed.

He said: “This is a great opportunity for Keighley to show how forward thinking the town can be.

“We hope the Keighley scheme will use locally manufactured and engineered components rather than rely on imports.”

Pam Essler, of the Regeneration Keighley group, said: “New markets for green technologies are developing fast and we do not want to be left behind.

“The town has a long history of quality engineering and this kind of project will help ensure the town also has a good future.”

The next public meeting to discuss the proposals will take place at 7pm on Tuesday, also in the Temple Row Centre, Keighley.

Mr Thorp said this event should see staff from Todmorden-based consultancy firm ‘H2ope’ provide further details on how the idea could become a reality.