Red tape rules banning Bradfordians from dumping rubbish at a Leeds tip might be scrapped if the two councils can come to an agreement.

Bradford and Leeds Councils are holding talks to decide if joint responsibility can be claimed for the Ellar Ghyll tip in Otley.

Rules drafted by Leeds Council meant Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston residents caught using the waste tip faced fines of £50,000 or a 12 month jail sentence, despite the fact that it is only a very short distance from both villages.

The ban caused outrage from Wharfedale residents who said a round trip to the next nearest Bradford recycling tips, in Ilkley or Bingley, would cost the environment as well as their time and money.

But Leeds would not budge - the Council said the new rules were vital to save costs.

A Leeds Council spokesman said: "The cost of waste disposal in Leeds is rising sharply year on year and the new landfill allowance trading scheme will further penalise council taxpayers if they continue to fund other authorities' waste disposal."

Conservative Shipley MP Philip Davies was just one of the many to appeal to Leeds City Council to get the authority to budge.

He requested that Leeds chiefs approach Bradford in order to agree on sharing costs produced by waste dumped at the tip.

"People will not drive to Bingley from Menston. There has got to be an element of cross co-operation," he said.

Bradford Councillor Matt Palmer (Con, Wharfedale) also appealed the decision.

He hoped the history behind the dump would sway an agreement between the authorities.

He said: "The tip was originally a project between Otley and Ilkley district councils for the benefit of people in Burley and Menston.

"It was always intended to be for the benefit of both areas."

And the pressure seems to have paid off. Richard Wixey, Bradford Council's director of environmental services, said: "We are currently working with Leeds City Council to identify the extent of cross-boundary use of household waste sites.

"We will then come up with a funding agreement that reflects the use by Bradford residents of Ellar Ghyll."

The Leeds Council spokesman said the authority regretted any inconvenience caused to Bradford residents and said the authorities would be aiming to come to a workable solution. Mr Davies said he was pleased that talks were being held.

"Let's hope that they come to some agreement and that common sense prevails.

"If the end result of that is that people in Menston, Burley and even Baildon can use the dump then that would be fantastic," he said.