Editorial Policy

What we cover (and what we don't)

SaltaireGuide covers four main things: guides (walks, parking, planning your visit), local services (our directory), news & roundups (Saltaire & Shipley updates) and business spotlights (clearly labelled commercial content).

What we focus on

• Practical information for visitors and locals: routes, parking, access, timings, costs.
• Local services that actually operate in or around Saltaire & Shipley.
• Local news and summaries that affect everyday life: transport changes, planning decisions, events, new openings and changes to public spaces.
• Clear "how to" guides (e.g. parking, getting here, step-free basics).

What we don't aim to be

• We are not a live crime / breaking news outlet.
• We do not publish rumours, unverified allegations or drama pulled from social media.
• We do not chase national clickbait stories unrelated to Saltaire & Shipley.
• We do not run advertorial that pretends to be neutral news — paid content is labelled.

Sourcing & citations

We favour primary sources and our own on-the-ground checks. When we rely on other sources, we say so in plain English and link where helpful.

For guides & local services

• On-site signs: parking plates, opening hours, access notes, step-free routes.
• Menus, prices and information provided directly by venues or service owners.
• Official websites for venues, attractions and local services where available.

For news & roundups

• Council papers and notices, planning portals and official consultations.
• Transport operator announcements (rail, bus, roads) and verified timetables.
• Event organisers, community groups and verified public statements.

Local knowledge & reader tips

We live in or around Saltaire/Shipley and regularly walk the routes we recommend. When readers send tips or corrections, we treat them as leads — we look for documentation, on-the-ground checks, or other confirmation before updating a page.

If a detail is uncertain or likely to change (for example, seasonal hours or temporary works), we say so and avoid giving false precision.

Reader accounts of local services

We sometimes publish first-hand accounts from readers about their experiences with local services — good and bad. These are not anonymous gossip and we do not accept submissions uncritically. Our standard for publishing a reader account is:

• the submitter has given us enough detail that we could, in principle, verify the core facts;
• we have no reason to doubt the submitter’s honesty or motive, and the account does not appear to be part of a coordinated campaign or a competitor action;
• the account is consistent with what we already know about the business or service, or where it contradicts that, the contradiction is itself interesting and worth reporting;
• we have reasonably considered offering a right of reply to the named business or individual where the account directly concerns them and where doing so is fair;
• we reasonably believe that publication is in the public interest of our readers.

Where an account is published anonymously at the submitter’s request — for example, where the submitter fears retaliation from the business they complained about — we still hold the submitter’s contact details internally where practicable, and we still apply the standard above. Anonymous is not the same as unverified.

Factual claims in a reader account are reported as the submitter’s experience, not as our independent findings. Opinions are clearly framed as opinions. Accounts are subject to our corrections policy and the notice-and-takedown process set out in our terms of use (clause 7.5).

Reasonable belief and public interest

Where we publish material that identifies a business or individual and that could reasonably be read as critical, we publish only where we have a reasonable belief that the material is true or is an honestly held opinion on a matter of public interest. The procedures described in this policy — sourcing, verification, reasonable belief, right of reply where appropriate, prompt correction — are how we put that standard into practice, and they are intended to support the defences available to publishers under sections 3 and 4 of the Defamation Act 2013 and at common law.

Verification, fact-checking & updates

We care most about the pages that people rely on to plan days out or make spending decisions. Those get the most frequent checks and the clearest "Updated" notes.

• High-impact guides (Parking, Getting here, Walks, Salts Mill, Local services hubs) are reviewed regularly and whenever we become aware of a material change.
• News pieces are checked against at least one primary or official source wherever possible (for example, council documents or operator announcements).
• Time-sensitive info (events, temporary works) is written with clear dates and not left hanging as evergreen advice.
• Material changes to a page (not just typos) are given an "Updated" note near the top, or reflected in a news/update section.

Found an error? See our Corrections policy for how to flag it and what we do next.

Editorial independence & monetisation

SaltaireGuide is funded by our own time and local business products (e.g. featured listings). Money helps keep the site running, but it doesn't buy positive coverage.

• We decide what to cover, what to write and how to order information based on usefulness to readers, not on who is paying.
• We do not sell positive reviews or allow businesses to approve or veto independent content.
• Paid placements (such as featured directory listings or sponsored spotlights) are clearly labelled and kept distinct from purely editorial pieces.
• We do not run scammy, auto-inserted ad units or autoplay video ads. When advertising appears, it is intentional and signposted.

Press standards and conflicts of interest

SaltaireGuide is not currently a member of a statutory press regulator. As a small independent publication, we voluntarily apply the substance of the standards set out in the Editors’ Code of Practice — in particular on accuracy, the opportunity to reply, privacy, harassment, reporting of crime, discrimination, and the public interest test that applies when any of these engage the rights of a named individual. We treat those as a minimum standard, not a ceiling.

Where a member of the editorial team has a personal, financial, or family relationship with a business or individual featured on the site, that relationship is disclosed on the page or the article is written by someone else. We do not publish covert advertising and we do not accept paid content that is presented as independent journalism.

Featured listings, reviews & paid spotlights

We operate a local directory and occasionally highlight businesses in more depth. Some of this is free, some is paid — and we label the difference.

Free basic listings

• Local businesses in Saltaire & Shipley can request a free basic listing in relevant categories.
• Free listings include simple factual information: name, contact details, short description and (where applicable) a note on verification.
• We reserve the right to decline, edit or remove listings that don't fit the area, our standards or this policy.

Featured / priority listings

• Some businesses pay for featured or priority placement in directory categories (for example, being shown higher up or with a badge).
• These placements are labelled (for example: "Featured" or "Priority listing").
• Payment for a featured slot does not buy a positive editorial review elsewhere on the site.

Reviews and paid spotlights

• If we receive complimentary tickets, meals or services, we will say so on the relevant page and still write as if we had paid.
• If we publish a paid spotlight or clearly commercial feature (for example, a business profile in the news section), it will be labelled as such (e.g. "Sponsored" or "Paid spotlight").
• We do not use star ratings or fake-science scoring systems for businesses or products.

Images, maps & permissions

Most photos, diagrams and maps on SaltaireGuide are created by us while walking the area. Some are supplied by local businesses or licensed from image libraries. A small number of heritage images come from public-domain archival and museum collections.

• Where a licence or credit is required, we provide it in the caption or near the image.
• If you own rights to an image and believe it has been used incorrectly, please contact us and we will review promptly.
• If a business supplies an image for their listing or spotlight, they are responsible for having the right to share it.

AI-assisted and AI-generated imagery

Where no suitable real image is available or practical to publish (for example, a decorative header for a general-advice page, or an illustration of a scenario that cannot be photographed without identifying a real person), we may use AI-assisted or AI-generated illustrations. Such images are used for decorative or illustrative purposes only. They are not documentary evidence of any specific person, place, event, time of day, vehicle, uniform, number plate, or current state of a location, and any resemblance to an identifiable real subject is unintentional and coincidental. This is covered in more detail at clause 8.1(d) of our terms of use.

AI in editorial text

Our editorial copy — guides, articles, reviews, commentary, and the parts of a page that express opinion or factual assertion — is written by humans. We do not publish wholesale AI-generated articles, and we do not use large language models as unchecked sources of fact. We may use AI tools in the background for spellcheck, grammar, draft outlining, and summarising our own research notes, the same way a journalist might use a dictionary or a thesaurus. Every published paragraph is read, edited, and signed off by a human editor.

For media or reuse enquiries, please get in touch via Contact.

Corrections

We would rather fix something quickly than leave it wrong. That applies to small factual details and to more serious issues that affect people's reputations or safety.

• Anyone can request a correction. The fastest route is via the dedicated form in our Corrections policy.
• Obvious factual errors (e.g. hours, phone numbers, map positions) are corrected as soon as we can verify the correct information.
• If a news piece or guide has a material error, we will correct it and, where appropriate, add a note explaining what changed.
• If you or your business believe a mention is inaccurate or missing context, you can contact us. We may, at our discretion, update the page or add a clarification where it helps readers.