A COUNCILLOR is calling for a £35,000 investment to give an Otley community centre a new lease of life.

The future of Weston Community Centre has been uncertain since 2014, when Leeds City Council announced it was under-used and costing £6,000 a year to run.

Efforts to find new users for the venue, though, have been ongoing and now look as though they could bear fruit, so long as £35,000 of work is carried out to bring the building up to scratch.

Otley town councillor, Peter Jackson (Lib Dem, Ashfield), believes the city council, as the owners, should be covering the costs.

He said: "We are at a very advanced stage of talks for a community group to use the centre on a shared agreement.

"A meeting was held earlier this month between members of the interested group, Leeds City Council, Otley and Yeadon councillors and myself.

"Leeds provided a schedule of works required at a cost of £35,000. The interested group could be using the centre as soon as September, providing the works are complete.

"The city council must hold responsibility for this work and lack of usage of the centre, due to its lack of maintenance over the years and failure to advertise the facilities. Given the amount of financial support it has given to projects in the city and the revenue it has received from the sale of buildings in Otley, I do hope it now pays the £35,000 investment to ensure this centre can reopen."

Cllr Jackson has proposed bookings and other arrangements for the centre should, under the new arrangement, be run by the town council.

He also believes the building needs to be 'rebranded' with a new name to raise its profile, and is keen to hear from other groups interested in using it at evenings or weekends.

Town resident, Paul Taylor, is hopeful for the future.

He said: "The residents here are really happy the council has found a way to ensure the Weston Centre remains a part of the local community.

"Moving forward, it can become a focal point for many groups and a useful asset to the locale."

Leeds City Council, however, would not say whether or not it will provide the necessary funds.

A spokesman said: "We fully recognise the importance of local community venues and are working with local groups to find a creative solution that will meet the community needs.

"In these challenging financial times, we must ensure any investment we are able to make represents the best long-term value for money for the whole city."

Anyone interested in using the venue should e-mail Cllr Jackson at peter.jackson@otleytowncouncil.gov.uk for more further information.