WORK is finally under way on Otley's new maypole community dance area.

The £41,000 project, backed by the Local Heritage Initiative, will see the transformation of Manchester Square - where a maypole has traditionally stood for centuries.

A new 25ft pole, made out of a tree donated by the Farnley Estate, will take pride of place in the centre of the revamped square which will include new paving, planters and seats.

Louise Wilson, of the Buttercross Belles, a member of the project team, said it was great to see work finally begin.

"It will be wonderful to have a maypole in the right place with a space to dance around," she said.

It is the culmination of almost three years of fundraising and planning by the town's two Morris dance sides and the town council with support from businesses in the town and Otley and Wharfedale Community Involvement Team (CIT).

Residents used to parking in Manchester Square were this week asked to park their cars somewhere else for the next six to eight weeks while work is taking place.

Mrs Wilson said they hoped residents would bear with them and promised car parking would soon be restored.

"We've sent letters out to everyone and would like to thank everyone for their co-operation in moving their cars, their parking will be restored as soon as possible," she said.

Following consultation about what people wanted to see at the site, it was decided to leave the old pole currently on the site and used as a flagpole.

"A lot of people felt quite strongly about it and wanted it to stay, so we felt it should not be removed," she said.

Fundraising to set up a new permanent maypole dance site was launched three years ago this month. The project received more than half of the total cost from the Local Heritage Initiative and raised the rest through local donations, fundraising events and from the Otley and Wharfedale CIT.

Otley schoolboy James Pickles won the competition to design the 'crown' or head of the maypole and the pole itself has been made out of a tree donated by the Farnley estate.

In the past the putting up of a new maypole in the town has been a major event with hundreds of people turning out to see the maypole carried through the streets.

It is hoped some sort of ceremony will take place when the maypole is put up and dancers are already looking forward to May 1 next year - the traditional start of the Morris dancing season.