Transport problems need CITs to unite

The vice chairman of the Horsforth and Cookridge CIT, Councillor Brian Cleasby, made the plea as he spelt out his view that greater co-operation could result in much improved services.

And his call was immediately welcomed by the chairmen of the two other CITs.

Coun Cleasby (Lib Dem, Horsforth) said at Tuesday's meeting of Horsforth and Cookridge CIT that the three groups could solve a range of transport and travel difficulties if they joined forces.

He claims that many people experience great frustration getting to Otley to visit the Wharfedale Hospital from Horsforth because of poor bus links.

Others are forced to endure bad congestion trying to get to Leeds from across the district.

He said: "Our representative from the Community Health Council, Sylvia Burgin, said that people in Horsforth want to travel to Otley for the hospital, but at the moment it is so difficult because of the transport links.

"She suggested that as a CIT we should look at the links to the hospital, but we also discussed the possibility of the three CITs working together to address the transport problems at the A65 ring road."

He added that most people from Horsforth would prefer to go to Wharfedale Hospital, especially when the £15m rebuild is complete in 2004.

He said: "The Otley hospital is somewhere that a lot of people would prefer to go, rather than the busy city, but if the links aren't available to get there, they will be forced into Leeds.

"Maybe there is a possibility of a few small buses going around the villages picking people up and dropping them either at prominent places like the hospital or to routes where the new transport schemes run closer to the city centre."

Members at Horsforth's CIT meeting agreed that the neighbouring groups should be approached to talk about possible future plans..

Coun Cleasby said: "We are getting left out when places like Kirkstall are getting amazing facilities.

"People from Otley and Aireborough as well as Horsforth use those roads into Leeds and we have to do something to combat the problem from this end rather than wait for the city council to step in.

"On the Cookridge side of the CIT there is Otley Road and the Weetwood roundabout and we are making an approach to say we would like officers to see what Horsforth, Aireborough and Otley CITs could do to work together.

"We need to work with each other to address the problem of getting in and out of Leeds, but not only that, of getting to and from Otley.

"The difficulty with our CIT is that Cookridge has an affinity to Leeds but really Horsforth does have more of an affinity with Otley.

"But my main point is that why should we suffer on the outskirts of Leeds when we are the ones who most need measures in place to get around."

Otley and Wharfedale CIT Chairman Coun Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) welcomed a meeting between the three groups.

He said: "It is always useful for adjoining CITs to work together on any initiative so we will certainly talk to Coun Cleasby and the CIT.

"How far we can influence matters is a different thing. At the meeting I will raise the subject of the Rural Bus Challenge because it looks like one bus will appear, but how far it will reach is debatable.

"At the moment things are uncertain about the scheme. It is likely there will only be one bus, but we do not know how far in to the hinterland of Otley it will travel.

"All I can say is that it would be another possibility and all ideas should be followed up and added to the melting pot."

Aireborough CIT Chairman and Leeds City Councillor Graham Latty (Con, Aireborough) expressed his approval of the informal plans.

He said: "Coun Cleasby approached me and there is a lot of money being spent to improve the A65 further out to Kirkstall but there is nothing planned to take it further.

"Coun Cleasby asked if we could all get together somehow to assess what we can do to improve our road, and I think it certainly an idea that we shall try to elaborate on in the future for all of our sakes."