Burley-in-Wharfedale's parking crisis will not be solved by villagers simply snubbing proposals out of hand, it has been claimed.

Community Council member Tom Sumner is unhappy that a simple show of hands at a village public meeting was enough to thwart his attempt to ease the problem by providing extra parking space for ten cars at The Grange.

Mr Sumner, although accepting the 'democratic' decision, said: "This is a

problem that is not going to go away.

"Everybody wants to ease the parking problems in the village but possible schemes need to be examined in detail."

The matter was raised at a recent Burley Community Council meeting where Mr Sumner expressed irritation at the way the issue had been dismissed so quickly.

Burley Community Council chairman Dennis Warwick has proposed the matter be raised again at the next Neighbourhood Forum meeting in October.

Villagers will be able to see for themselves how Mr Sumner's proposals for the extra parking places will look.

Mr Sumner feels villagers may have got the wrong end of the stick, thinking his bid to create extra parking spaces would damage the greenery of Grange Park or disturb the war memorial at the front of The Grange.

The village's shop keepers feel very strongly about the problem and they have approached the Community Council on more than one occasion.

They are frustrated at seeing cars clogging up Main Street, preventing potential customers from stopping and being able to pop in.

Peter Settle, proprietor of Country Corner, said: "The village is slowly grinding to a halt. We cannot simply bury our heads in the sand about this. You can occupy the moral high ground and say we should all walk to the shops but in reality that isn't going to happen."

He said there was an area to the south of The Grange which could be used for parking, an area already two thirds paved.

"It is simply the case that if people do not find it easy to park they will go elsewhere," he said.

The Community Council is in the process of sounding out Bradford Council and the College for their views.

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