A public meeting with the provocative title Otley - Just Another Suburb? will be held in the town this month.

Campaign group Otley Development Disgrace (ODD) has organised the event to discuss the implications of the Leeds Local Development Framework for the local community.

Since starting up at the end of 2013 ODD has repeatedly warned that the recommended housing targets being set would see Otley experience a 20 per cent, “unsustainable” increase in size.

The meeting, which takes place at Otley Methodist Church at 7.30pm on Monday, March 31, will include short presentations on:

  • the expected 20 per cent population increase and its likely impact
  • the objectives of the campaign
  • the experience of neighbouring communities in Menston and Guiseley.

MP Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) will also speak.

Further invitations have been sent to Leeds City Council's chief executive Tom Riordan, Otley's town and ward councillors, MP Kris Hopkins (Con, Keighley) and David Ingham from Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development.

A spokesman for ODD, which says it has already amassed a large numbers of signatures for its petition objecting against the scale of new housing, said: “This week Otley featured in the Sunday Times list of the 101 best places to live.

“The current Local Development Framework plans would ensure this was no longer the case.

“The aims of this first public meeting are to gain more publicity, galvanise public engagement, ensure the support of our elected representatives, and to apply pressure to the Leeds planners and widen participation in the campaign.”

More information can be found at otleydevelopmentdisgrace.webs.com.