A campaign for a town council in Guiseley has reached a significant landmark, according to organisers.

Campaigners say they have reached the halfway mark this week in their effort to collect more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling on Leeds City Council to establish the new body.

Co-ordinator David Bowe has written to more than 500 people who have signed so far, calling on them to help galvanise support to reach the target.

He said: “We are asking all our supporters to speak to their family, friends and neighbours living in Guiseley – postcode LS20 – and encourage them to sign our petition.

“We are particularly keen to encourage people to use our online sign-on facility.”

He said progress towards the target of 1,000-plus signatures – ten per cent of the voters in the proposed Guiseley Town Council area – was slow in the autumn due to the short daylight hours and bad weather. But he said steady progress was being made since the New Year, with the setting up of a website with a sign-on facility and the printing and distributing of a leaflet making the case for a town council.

Mr Bowe added: “As daylight hours lengthen and the weather improves, we will be calling on more residents, asking them to sign our petition. “We are now optimistic that within two or three months we will have a sufficient number of signatures to trigger a local government review, which we hope will lead to the establishment of a town council in Guiseley.

“I appeal to all Guiseley residents to sign our petition and help us get a town council that will listen to local opinion and act as a voice for local residents.” To sign the petition or find out more, go to www. guiseleytownpetition.net.

The proposal for a parish council has not found favour with everyone.

Earlier this year Guiseley Coun Graham Latty argued that an Aireborough Parish Council would be a more sensible option.

He said he was not aware of any in-depth or widespread consultations carried out by Mr Bowe on the issue of a Guiseley Town Council.

He said: “I am on record as saying that while I would support a parish if that was really what people wanted, I believe that the emerging Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum, a totally non-political body, is better placed to do the things that matter.”