Parish councillors in Ilkley have agreed to form a group to examine its future relationship with Bradford Council.

At a meeting of the parish council, Liberal Democrat councillor Gary Shipley put forward a motion stating the present situation was 'unacceptable.'

Coun Shipley said Ilkley was suffering on issues such as toilet provision and coach parking. He said: "We are powerless to stop the rot and our influence on decision-making is virtually non-existent. I am not proposing an answer at this point, merely that we owe it to the residents within Ilkley, Burley and Menston to examine this situation and reach our own conclusions."

Coun Anne Hawkesworth said such a working party had already been tried 11 years ago.

She said: "This involved a great deal of work and initiative by those councillors. It did not, however, come to a successful outcome because of a lack of resident support and political loyalties linked with the inability to form suitable links."

Coun Mike Gibbons said the parish council had shown how important a role it had to play, particularly with regard to a successful battle in the last Unitary Development Plan.

Coun Shipley's motion was eventually carried and it was agreed the working party should comprise four Conservative councillors and one Liberal Democrat.

However, speaking before the meeting, James Keeley, chairman of Ilkley Liberal Demo-crats said any such working party should include a wider section of the community, including representatives of Ilkley Labour Party and community and religious leaders.

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