FIFTY years ago in July 1972 a meeting was held at Yeadon Town Hall at 8pm to propose the setting up of a Civic Society for Aireborough.

Recently Civic Society members celebrated by having an anniversary meal at the Wetherby Whaler, which had, of course, been Harry Ramsden’s famous fish and chip restaurant. It was an appropriate venue, especially as we had unveiled a Blue Plaque there in 2012. Needless to say the meal was delicious!

The idea of having a local Civic Society was advertised in the Wharfedale & Airedale Observer, and details of the new Civic Society were reported in the following weeks.

A ‘Clean-up Movement’ had been set up in Aireborough in October 1970 and the Chairman, Mr John Waterhouse opened the meeting. The changes in Local Government were given as one reason to set up a Civic Society, to ensure local interests were properly represented. Also the need to preserve the character of the area as well as its history.

Seventy people attended that meeting.

Mr. John Boast, from Otley Civic Society, addressed the meeting. His view was that a Civic Society should take an active interest in Local Authority Planning, try to improve the existing environment and also ensure that any new development was ‘best for the town’.

The proposal to form a Civic Society was carried unanimously. There were 15 nominations for a Committee to set up the Aireborough Civic Society, including 4 from councillors on the Aireborough Urban District Council. The first meeting of the Civic Society was to be held in the Committee Room above Yeadon Public Library on Friday 28th July 1972, starting at 8pm.

At the time Aireborough was not part of Leeds, but was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It had its own Urban District Council which met at Micklefield House in Rawdon. However it was known that a reorganisation (in 1974) would mean that the area would lose its council and become part of Leeds City Council, and therefore a Civic Society could have an important role locally.

The first Chairman of the new Aireborough Civic Society was G.W. Wheater and the committee had 20 other members by August. In the past 50 years the society has continued to work for what was ‘best for the town’.

In recent years that has meant looking at local planning developments, continuing the fight against litter, and planting flowers in Yeadon High Street. Increasingly congestion, loss of Green Belt and pollution have become major issues for the society and continued attempts have been made to improve our bus and train services so that fewer cars are on our roads.

One the most important achievements of ACS was saving Rawdon Library from closure 11 years ago, and in particular saving our important Local History collection at the library. We also helped persuade Leeds City Council to protect our heritage by reviewing and increasing the size of the Guiseley, Rawdon and Yeadon Conservation Areas, and creating a new conservation area for Nether Yeadon.

Rawdon Library has a collection of Wharfedale & Airedale Observers from the 1950s to 1980s. It is fascinating to reflect on life in Aireborough in 1972 and I commend the newspaper collection to readers – available in the Local History room at Rawdon Library.