It is a real pleasure today to be able to report some good-news stories about Bingley. For so long, it seems, the reports coming out of that town have been of decline as shops have closed, causing shoppers to stay away, leading to more shops closing, and so on.

The town, which has so much potential, seemed to be trapped in a spiral of decline. Meanwhile, the only thing that was "on the up" was the volume of traffic grinding relentlessly along Main Street, generating noise and dust.

However, things have been happening lately. Not least of these is the fact that work on the Bingley relief road is soon to go ahead. Perhaps in anticipation of the benefits that will bring, aided by the improved parking facilities at the bottom end of Main Street, trade is now said to be improving. New businesses have been relocating to Bingley and are reporting encouraging results.

This positive development must be a welcome anniversary present for the Better Bingley Campaign, which has now been working for ten years to turn around the town's fortunes. Efforts have been made to clean up the environment and create more attractive surroundings. New bars and restaurants have opened.

Bingley now seems poised to take full advantage of the opportunities which will surely arise when the traffic flow is dramatically reduced. It is now up to the people of the town to play their part by taking advantage of the invitation issued by town centre manager David Dinsey for them to get involved in the forthcoming consultation.