By Ben Abbiss

CONCERNS about Otley's infrastructure and character have been raised at the first of a series of Neighbourhood Plan consultations.

The Town Council is holding five drop-in events to let residents shape their proposals for the plan before it is handed on to Leeds City Council.

The first three sessions, at All Saints C of E Primary School, Otley Social Working Men's Club and Prince Henry's Grammar School, have now taken place.

All Saints staged the first one last Tuesday, November 29, and town council Chairman Councillor Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem, Danefield) was pleased with the turnout.

He said: "The really positive thing is that local people took the time and trouble on a very chilly night to come out and look at the draft ideas, maps and policies and record their views, both positive and negative.

"This is the essence of what the Neighbourhood Plan is about - making sure the community has had a good chance to have their say, bearing in mind that the final product will go to a referendum of townspeople as required by law.

"If it is approved, which of course we hope it will be by that point, it becomes a vital tool for the town in making sure that developers take full account of our views and desires when they come forward with proposals.

"We want the plan to have a vision for Otley that is forward looking and sustainable, as well as sensitive to our history and heritage.

"The more local people are involved the better, so do please take a chance to visit one of the remaining drop-in events or call into the town council offices to review the proposals."

The town council's Planning Committee Chairman Councillor Mary Vickers (Lib Dem, West Chevin), speaking at the first meeting, said: "The main issue is going to be infrastructure.

"There’s likely to be five hundred to six hundred new houses built and we need to make sure we have the schools, GP surgeries, shops, green spaces and children’s play areas to meet the town’s needs."

The traffic impact of the hundreds of new homes currently earmarked for the town - in the city council's Site Allocations Plan on traffic - was also an area of concern for some of the residents attending.

Jonathan Joslin, a 29 year old debt advisor from Otley, said: “I guess the main issue for me is making sure it is a sustainable place to live.

"There has to be the provisions for infrastructure because at the moment there are terrible bottlenecks though the centre of town."

For others the need for the new homes that do come to be of good quality, and affordable, was a priority.

Business consultant John Lawson said: “We don’t want these big developers coming in and cramming as many units of mock-Yorkshire Stone in as they can.

"We need high quality, affordable housing that reflects the architecture of Otley for hard-working, young families so they don’t have to leave here like my son did."

The remaining consultation drop-ins will be at Otley Core Resource Centre from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, December 10 and at Grove Hill Social Club from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday, December 13.