As the Millennium celebrations fade into the past, people must now turn to face the harsh realities of an uncertain future. The New Year will bring the culmination of various concerns facing the residents of the area.

Each is enough of a worry on its own. The future of Wharfedale General Hospital is by no means clear, in spite of promises of a new hospital and a preferred site being chosen. Rumours refuse to go away that a further rundown of the current hospital is looming in the not too distant future and, such have been the twists and turns in the saga so far, that Otley folk can still not sleep easily in their beds, safe in the knowledge that the town will have a hospital in the years to come.

Over at Pool-in-Wharfedale, through traffic continues to clog the main street, a situation certain to worsen when 100 new homes are built in the village. This development, and another large scheme at Rumplecroft in Otley, show that open land in Wharfedale will continue to be under threat from developers.

In Guiseley, the future of the area's most successful soccer club is in doubt. Guiseley AFC have to start making long-term plans with their lease up for renewal in little more than two years' time, yet unlike many other non-league teams throughout the country, the club seems to get little help or encouragement from the local authority.

Even in Horsforth, which in 1999 managed to get its own town council, the future is not entirely rosy. Radical reorganisation of Leeds City Council could bring major pressures on the fledgling town council. The parish council of Ilkley, which covers Menston and Burley-in-Wharfedale has already been warned by Bradford Council that unless it is willing to take more responsibility for running budgets and local services, it faces the prospect of atrophy and oblivion.

The year 2000 could spell make or break for Otley as a retail shopping centre. Arguments continue to rage over whether a proposal by Sainsbury to build a superstore in the town centre will spell doom or boom. Meanwhile, the biggest shopping growth in town remains the charity shops.

The new millennium has psychologically raised people's hopes. However, some stiff challenges lie ahead and it is up to councillors, local organisations, planners and the public at large to work together in a positive manner to achieve the best solutions for our area. Otherwise, the 'great new millennium' will turn out to be nothing more than a false dawn.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.