AN Addingham parish councillor has vowed to fight on to extend a popular bus service in the village.

But after attending a conference at the offices of Metro, the West Yorkshire Transport Authority, Councillor Danny Palmer remains convinced that officials don't want to provide it.

Coun Palmer went to the event at Leeds where he said he was impressed with the number of rural services on offer, connecting such places as Wakefield and the Lake District.

But Metro has expressed reluctance to extend the Addingham bus service which runs to Airedale General Hospital.

Many villagers want the service to carry on to Ilkley but officials say this would lead to competition with non-subsidised services and they would not do it.

If it was extended the service would be prevented from picking up passengers on the main roads being served by other services, said Coun Palmer.

Coun Palmer thinks that such a service would also be popular in Ilkley as well as Addingham.

"There must be people in Ilkley who want to go to Airedale Hospital.

"We should be pushing for it because it would keep cars off the road," said Coun Palmer.

Coun Palmer has also called on bus companies to provide another bus stop in Ilkley for buses travelling to Addingham and back.

At present, the next bus stop after the bus station in the middle of town is on Skipton Road, at the site of the new All Saints Primary School.

Coun Palmer said there should be a bus stop in between, possibly near the Clarke Foley Centre in Cunliffe Road, which smaller buses could use.

But the Leeds meeting was chiefly for Metro to discover what transport projects were needed in more isolated rural areas.

Metro Chairman Councillor Mick Lyons told the Ilkley Gazette: "There are funds available to develop new rural transport projects.

"We are at the stage now where we need to consult community groups and Parish Councils about what they want to see happen."