OTLEY’S MP has accused the Town Council of taking out a “grossly irresponsible” lease on its new base.

Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland, for Leeds North West (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) said the ten-year agreement for the Otley Core Resource Centre will have cost taxpayers £254,000, plus service charges and rates, by the time it ends in 2023.

And He has criticised the council for not including a “break clause”, meaning it would pay penalties if it had to move – which means it would be hit by hefty penalties if it had to move over the next few years.

The Core, on Orchard Gate, opened in 2013 as a fully accessible council office and community facility. It has since been used for everything from museum displays and dementia awareness days to JobCentre Plus sessions.

But Mr Mulholland has argued the council should be focusing instead on moving back into the Civic Centre, which closed in 2010. He said: “The Labour-run council had no right to sign a lease for ten years without a break clause, tying the hands of future councils.

“This was grossly irresponsible and means taxpayers could end up being forced to pay thousands if the Civic Centre is refurbished and the council wishes to return.

“It is clear that people firmly believe the council should commit to moving back – and to committing the thousands being spent on the rented office on giving the Civic Centre the chance of being refurbished and viable.”

“It is also a huge waste of taxpayers’ money spending more than fifty thousand pounds on refurbishing a premises the council does not own.”

He saidadded that the cost of “breaking” the lease over the next three years would be £156,000 for 2015, £138,000 for 2016, or £119,000 for 2017.

Town council leader Councillor John Eveleigh, however, has dismissed the criticism as a “rehashed”, party politically motivated stunt.

He said thatpoints out that at its last meeting at the council’s last meeting, it unanimously backed plans from a local firm to reopen the Civic Centre as an entertainment hub with no town council presence.

He said: “Mr Mulholland just keeps reheating his old press releases and each time they become more shrill and out of touch.

“His own Liberal Democrat councillors have openly supported the Core and recently unanimously supported the town council’s position on the Civic Centre.

“By instigating a serious feasibility study with significant public input, the council I lead has done more than any of its predecessors in trying to get the figures for the Civic Centre to stack up. It became very apparent that the council moving back in was neither desirable for us nor the long-term viability of the building.

“The council is fully supporting the new Venue 21 proposals, which built upon the work of our steering group and Mr Mulholland should join us in supporting this initiative.”