Action demanded on Otley's eyesores (From Wharfedale Observer)

Action demanded on Otley's eyesores

2:26pm Thursday 28th February 2008

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LENGTHY delays to major development schemes across Otley have left areas of the town looking like wastelands.

Key sites are fast becoming eyesores with visitors being greeted by areas covered in debris, broken glass and dilapidated fencing.

Resident Beth O'Neil. an IT professional, said this week that visitors to the town were being greeted by a mess' - and Councillor Graham Kirkland, who is chairman of Otley Town Council Plans Committee, told the Wharfedale Observer that he shared her concerns about several sites in the town.

This newspaper has identified a number of areas which are either awaiting development or need tidying up. They include:

• Sainsbury's site at the former Colman's Yard, where the promised new store has still to be built even though initial plans were discussed a decade ago.

• The now empty Bowling Green pub, which the JD Wetherspoon chain got a licence to run in 2006.

• The former Otley Motors building at Cross Green, which Netto bought more than a year ago, but has only just submitted plans for a new food store.

• The Summercross pub which Chartford Homes closed down and boarded up.

• Ashfield Works industrial site off Westgate - still awaiting development.

• The desolate looking site of the former Bridge End Auction Mart.

• Fenced off public toilets at Cross Green which were closed and sold to a mystery buyer for £156,000 in 2006.

• Garnett's large riverside base for which a major scheme was planned but has got no further.

Mrs O'Neil, of Cross Green, points to the lack of progress on schemes like the former Bowling Green pub or on the new Sainsbury's store as examples of the problem.

She said: "I read with interest the report in last week's Wharfedale Observer that Otley Town Council was concerned about the dilapidated condition of the fence outside the former Bowling Green pub.

"Have they also seen the state that the former Otley Ford (Otley Motors) garage is now in? The ground there is covered in broken glass, rubbish and shopping trolleys. I remember reading one councillor saying that when Netto bought this ground that it was great for Otley as it was the gateway to the town for visitors.

"Well, what a first impression we are offering them now - a boarded up Summercross pub, a derelict former garage, the abandoned Bowling Green, and a vast bomb site that apparently Sainsbury's will build on.

"And, while I am about it, would someone please put the rest of the letters back on the Orchard Gate shopping centre sign. What a mess!"

Coun Kirkland said: "The town council has taken up the issue of developments not being pursued, particularly with the Bowling Green, where we've written to Leeds planners to say the fence around it and the stuff inside is untidy. We have also written to Wetherspoon to say they need to get on with it.

"They seem to be like Sainsbury, who said they wanted their store sorted out so it could be up by 2003 - I think they've missed their deadline!"

Otley MP Greg Mulholland said: "Where big companies have permission to go ahead, they must get on with work as soon as possible. The Sainsbury's site and the Bowling Green have been unused for too long and this is not fair on the community in Otley.

"In the case of the Summercross, this is a case of proposed development against the wishes of the community and rather than leave this important building derelict, Chartford Homes should have the decency to walk away and give us back the community's pub."

There could be movement on some of the sites later this year. Netto is due to progress with its new supermarket plans at the Otley Motors site if its proposals to build a bigger new store with 68 parking spaces, which have just been submitted to Leeds City Council (LCC), are approved.

Chartford Homes' housing plans for the closed Summercross pub, meanwhile, could also be considered by Leeds planners within the next few months despite widespread opposition in the town. But Sainsbury's, while insisting work on the site of its new store off Bondgate is progressing, still doesn't have an estimated date for when building will start.

JD Wetherspoon is awaiting permission to push ahead with its redevelopment after its plans were rejected. A spokesman said: "It's our site and we want to open a pub there.

"The situation is that JD Wetherspoon has licensing permission but its planning application was turned down and is going to appeal, which should be heard in four to six weeks.

"Wetherspoon can't proceed until we find out the outcome of that appeal. If permission was granted at appeal we'd look to start building work later this year to have it opened either late in 2008 or early 2009."

A briefing document for the Ashfield Works site was drawn up by Leeds City Council in April last year. This recommended a mixed commercial and residential use of the land, including an hotel or leisure facilities and shops. The issue is still with the city council..

The buyer of the Cross Green toilets is understood to be planning to build two houses on the site, but nothing has yet been approved.

Click here for pictures of the eyesores

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