Councillors are pressing ahead with plans to create a parish council for Aireborough.

The council which would serve Rawdon, Yeadon and Guiseley could be up and running by the year 2000 but the idea would need the support of ten per cent of the population before it could progress.

Campaigners say they have 1,000 names on a petition and hope to have a further 1,000 before an application is submitted to Leeds Council.

Leeds would then forward the submission to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in his role as Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

If it succeeds, elections for the new body could take place in the spring of 2000.

Campaigner Graham Latty, of Rawdon, said that although Aireborough had three members serving on Leeds Council there was still a need for a parish council which he hoped would develop strong links with Leeds.

He said: "Otley Town Council has a good working relationship with the city council and they seem to get things done for the town because they are always on their backs."

He was disappointed that only 14 residents had attended a public meeting about the proposed parish council recently but said he would press ahead with the petition.

Some residents who attended the meeting suggested the three districts of Aireborough - Rawdon, Yeadon and Guiseley - ought to have their own parish councils.

But others said a parish council for all three areas would be useful to put pressure on the district council to call for better services.

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