MORE effort is needed to improve Otley's Britain in Bloom standing in time for the summer judging on July 9.

Councillor Jennifer Clifton, chairman of the council's environment and economic development committee, said: "I have to say it was a disappointing result in the spring judging.

"The judges always comment on the lack of spring hanging baskets and this is something the Chamber of Trade has been trying to encourage.

"There are some places where there are hanging baskets that did not have them last year," she added.

Coun Clifton said she was looking for ideas on how the town council could promote the Britain in Bloom competition more in Otley.

She said: "We did have a public meeting about a year-and-a-half ago but the response to it was very poor.

"We do need to emphasise that the town council and the city council are trying to get a good entry for the competition but without the support of the community, we cannot achieve top marks," she added.

One piece of good news for the Britain in Bloom competition was that James Jiora, owner of World Class Sports and Fitness in Boroughgate, had agreed to pay for a gardener to tidy up and maintain the rose garden outside the building.

Town clerk Les Cross said: "I wrote to Netto, to Argos and to Mr Jiora pointing out how overgrown with weeds the outside of the premises were.

"Netto wrote back to say they didn't own the building, but Mr Jiora wrote back and said he would be wiling to pay for the gardener to restore the rose garden and maintain it," he added.

Council leader Sue Egan (Lab, Manor) suggested that something could be put in the Otley Matters newsletter informing organisations and groups that grants were available for planting spring bulbs.

Coun Phil Coyne (Lab, Ashfield), also suggested trying to link-up with Prince Henry's Grammar School pupils to get the different forms to adopt different streets in the town to keep tidy.

THE revamp of one of Otley's key town centre features is imminent.

Otley Town Council has said work on spraying the cherry trees outside the Midland Bank gardens in Crossgate will start straight away.

Once that is finished, the old bent metal fence posts and railings which surround the gardens will be removed.

And when that is completed, work will go ahead on crowning, lifting and thinning the ten white and pink flowering cherry trees which line the edges of the triangular garden.

Half of the estimated £6,000 cost - which will see the gardens opened up similar to a London square - has been budgeted for the current financial year.

But, the council hopes it might be able to redirect more money into the project so that it can be completed in one go.

The project will see three benches with stone surrounds placed around a central paved area; a formal bed in front of the bank with a boxed edge of lavender trees and red cordyline; a raised stone bed at the centre of the seated area; and black cast iron bollards with chain linking to replace the existing railings.

Les Cross, the town clerk, said work had taken longer to start because all the trees in the garden were subject to tree preservation orders.

"It meant we had to submit a tree work order to Leeds City Council, after having had discussions with forestry officers," he added.

At a meeting of the council's environmental and economic development committee on Monday, committee chairman Coun Jennifer Clifton (Lab, West Chevin) said: "We have got a donation from the Midland Bank which will go towards the project."

Neil Ballantyne, manager at the Otley branch, said: "Midland is always keen to be involved in the local community.

"We are delighted to donate funds to help turn the area outside our branch into a site which will hopefully be enjoyed by residents and visitors for many years to come," he added.

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