LABOUR is represented on Otley Town Council for the first time since 2015.

Richard Davies was elected as a councillor for the Danefield ward by-election last week.

Mr Davies won with 333 votes, a 46-vote majority, with second and third place tightly fought between Greens (287) and Lib Dems (282).

He said: “I’m honoured to have been elected as the Labour Town Councillor for Danefield Ward, where I have lived for over 20 years. I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me. I campaigned on the message that it is time for a change and that local politics benefits from a more diverse range of voices.

"But whether or not you voted for me, I promise I will work hard to represent all of the residents of Danefield ward and to make Otley a better place for all of us who live here.”

Mr Davies is committed to reaching out to, and working with, other councillors and community groups who want to find solutions for the challenges Otley faces.

He said: “I believe the town must come together to get the best possible deal for our community from the East of Otley development. Holding the developer to the East of Otley policies in the Neighbourhood Plan will be a key part of this, but we must make sure that developments around climate change are also taken into account.

“The East of Otley site also has a long history which is important to the people of Otley.There are growing calls to commemorate the experience of the Irish families who settled in the Irish Fields. I think this is really important and I welcome this. Perhaps the names of new streets could reflect these families as well as the names of the local fields, some of which go back hundreds of years.”

He added:“Finally, I will continue to bang the drum for a clear and published Town Council action plan which shows how the outcomes set out in the Otley Neighbourhood Plan are going to be achieved, given its resounding endorsement in 2020.This will help us build a better future that the town deserves.”

Mr Davies has worked for 25 years in senior roles at Leeds City Council, the Environment Agency and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in the fields of emergency planning, flood risk management and project management.