BATTLING residents are going to the ombudsman in their fight to keep Aireborough together.

More than 70 angry people attended another meeting in Yeadon to discuss the proposed carve up of the area under proposals by the Boundary Committee.

And now, they are going to the ombudsman because they feel not enough consultation took place.

Councillor Dr Makhun Thakur, chairman of Saturday's meeting at Yeadon Town Hall, claimed that Leeds City Council had ignored the concept of Aireborough.

He added that changes were unacceptable without consultation with public, and the Aireborough name should remain.

Winnie Brown, of the Yeadon Charities Association, said that she wants the name of Aireborough to be retained and she was not satisfied with the way people have been informed about the changes.

She added that the council seemed to be interested in Aireborough only when taxes were due to rise.

Brian Hutchinson has written to the leader of Leeds City Council asking for the relevant forms that he can send to the Ombudsman.

He also asked for copies of the proposals to be put in local libraries, but has received no reply.

Mr Hutchinson lives in the Otley ward and said he gets the impression that Otley councillors are not interested.

Margaret Atkinson proposed a resolution that the name Aireborough be retained.

She also suggested that Yeadon, in its entirety, is reinstated as one community, and to reinstate the pre-1980 Aireborough boundary to include the townships of Rawdon, Yeadon and Guiseley including Hawksworth village.

Everyone at the meeting with the exception of one was in agreement.

A letter and the minutes of the meeting have been sent to the Boundary Committee with copies to local MPs and the Leader of Leeds City Council

Any replies received will be displayed in Yeadon, Rawdon and Guiseley Libraries.

Also in recent weeks, Aireborough residents have taken to the streets and collected signatures about the split between the Guiseley and Rawdon ward and the Otley and Yeadon ward.

Coun Thakur said: "There are more than 1,000 signatures being sent to the Boundary Commission along with all of the information from the meeting so I hope that we will receive a favourable response from them.

"The meeting was held to get as many comments from the public as possible and a lot of people said that they were unhappy that they had not been told about the changes.

"People also do not want to lose the name of Aireborough and would ask for that to be seriously considered by the Boundary Committee.

"It is clear that there is more than one issue here and we want the Boundary Committee to think seriously about the proposals."