The long-awaited voting forms for the Keighley Town Council referendum were this week dropping through local letter-boxes.

Almost 40,000 adults in Keighley and surrounding areas are being asked whether they want their own council.

The forms are accompanied by pre-paid envelopes and the votes must be returned to Bradford Council by August 2.

Keighley councillor Martin Leathley, one of the leading lights in the Town Council campaign, urges all local people to vote, saying he hopes people will vote in record numbers, in numbers that are worthy of Keighley.

He rightly stresses that people have said for years they want more independence for Keighley. They're not happy with centralised Bradford rule.

This referendum is their chance to do something about it.

The voting forms will be counted on August 3, probably at Keighley Leisure Centre, and the results assessed by Bradford Council.

Bradford will then make a recommendation to the Government, which has final say on whether Keighley gets a Town Council.

The referendum marks the culmination of a campaign by volunteers from the Keighley Voice group who have rallied support around the town in recent months.

They firmly believe a Town Council, made up of Keighley people elected by fellow residents, would give more power to the town.

The body would cover all of Keighley, South, West and North wards, including outlying areas such as Riddlesden, East Morton and Long Lee.

Areas of the Worth Valley that do not have a parish council, including Oakworth and Laycock, could also be included.

A Town Council would be identical to a parish council and be allowed to run services such as parks, playgrounds, street cleaning, lighting, road safety and libraries.

Bradford Council's elections unit on Tuesday posted voting forms to all 38,500 electors in the proposed Town Council area. The forms are accompanied by maps and information about town councils, plus a prepaid envelope.

This historic event in the democratic life of Keighley began with an exchange of letters in this newspaper. We backed the Keighley Voice campaign to the hilt -- to resolve the issue hopefully once and for all.

It can't be easier -- just put a cross on the paper and post it back.