A fresh wrangle has broken out over moves to give Bingley its own town council.

The plan is being pushed forward by the town's Conservative councillors on Bradford Council but it has failed to win the support of Labour MP Chris Leslie.

And Philip Smith, chairman of the Better Bingley Campaign, said he would welcome it as long as politics were kept out.

The support of ten per cent of the electorate is needed to get the idea up and running, which would mean about 2,500 signatures being obtained for a petition.

Councillor Robin Owens (Con, Bingley) said: "The proposal to form a town council was discussed at length by many organisations last year and everybody was in favour. I believe it is time for Bingley to take action. A town council could make a real difference to all of us by giving us control of our local environment. I would welcome the involvement of as many organisations as possible.''

But Shipley MP Chris Leslie (Labour), chairman of the Bingley Town Centre Partnership, poured cold water on the idea, saying it was nothing new and had previously been tried in Shipley where a public meeting had attracted only a handful of people. He said: "I am not entirely convinced that this is what people in Bingley are crying out for.

"I wouldn't rule it out but it would be a toothless, powerless, talking-shop. But if that is what people want, so be it.

"I think there are adequate forums in Bingley already for people to channel their voices through. It could be expensive and I would like to know where the money would come from."

Philip Smith said he welcomed the idea of a town council but warned that it must be representative of people's views.

"If they can keep politics out of it, it will be great," he said. "I would like to see it concentrate on what Bradford Council and the Bingley Town Centre Partnership should be concerned about, namely, the revitalisation of the Myrtle Walk shopping centre refurbishment opportunity.

"At a more mundane level I would like to see it concentrate on doing something about the litter and mess and the generally downwards spiral of the town over the last 20 years.

"I think a town council is a good idea. It has worked for some years in Silsden where it has been a great asset to the town and if it goes back towards the days of urban district councils and has a little bit more clout than existing groups, I would think it would be a good thing.

"My biggest concern is that it does not become undemocratic because of some political formation."

Councillor Colin Gill (Con, Bingley) said important decisions about the future of Bingley would have to be made now the bypass was going to be built.

"These decisions should be made in public by people elected in Bingley, not by bureaucrats in City Hall or by the secretive Bingley Town Centre Partnership," he said.

"A Bingley Town Council would give everybody the opportunity to shape the future of our local area. We've got a Town Hall in Myrtle Park and it is time we started using it again."

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