A campaign to win greater independence for Queensbury is to be launched tomorrow.

Activists seeking to set up a parish council for Queensbury and Clayton Heights will begin distributing 4,000 questionnaires to the area's electorate asking them to back their campaign following a rally at Queensbury's Victoria Hall.

The campaign hopes to gain the backing of 1,200 residents, ten per cent of the local electorate, which is needed before Bradford Council can ask the Department of Environment secretary of state John Prescott for approval to create a new council.

The plans for a new parish council follow similar campaigns which have seen the creation of new authorities in Haworth and Horsforth and calls for parish authorities to be set up in Shipley, Bingley and Pudsey.

Councillor Andrew Smith (Con, Queensbury) believes that a parish council will give people a greater say over issues of transport and the governing of local recreational facilities.

He said: "A parish council with local parish councillors supported by Bradford district would increase the say of local people and the communities in which they live. There's a great feeling in Queensbury that Bradford Council doesn't listen to the wishes and needs of local people.

"It's going to be a hard couple of months getting all the signatures together but it will be worth it.

"I hope the first parish council elections could take place in May 2001, as there are no Bradford local elections in this year."

Coun Smith proposes that the parish's boundary would begin at Cooper Lane, Clayton Heights and continue to the Halifax boundary at Catherine Slack.

In his plan, the parish would be split into three wards called Clayton Heights, Queensbury and Ambler Thorn.

The Conservative-led campaign is set to clash with a competing survey from Labour activist and community worker John Crewdson.

Mr Crewdson, who is collecting a competing petition of residents asking for a parish council, said: "People living in Queensbury still retain a strong local identity and many do not see themselves fitting in well with Bradford as things stand.

"I firmly believe the future governance of this district should be a partnership between the city and its local communities."

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