Keighley Town Council’s North Street civic centre is now the responsibility of a full committee of the council.

The facility had been overseen by a sub-group drawn from members of the council’s management and staffing committee.

However, councillors voted to set up the standing committee after they were told it would have more freedom to act and would report directly to the full council each month.

Councillor Graham Mitchell said: “The sub-committee has worked hard, but it has no executive authority. It has only been able to make recommendations and, quite correctly, it has to report back to its parent committee. As a result, the sub-committee has been perceived in some parts of this chamber to be not totally transparent.”

Coun Amjad Zaman said: “Transparency is everything. I think it’s a good idea to have a committee which is answerable to the full town council.”