Danefield ward – your Labour town council candidate

For the past two years, I have been an active and committed Otley Town Councillor for Danefield Ward, working together with residents, other councillors and officers, community groups and businesses to tackle things that needed doing.

This has not always been easy, but working collaboratively with other people and groups I have been able to progress a number of my priorities and resolve problems which have cropped up. Here are a few examples:

East of Otley: I am heavily involved in talks with Leeds City Council planners, the town council, and community groups, such as Otley 2030, to make a robust response to unsuitable development proposals. I submitted a 10-page detailed response and was also active in discussions with LCC Rights of Way staff about formally recognising footpaths around the Cambridge estate.

Anti-Social Behaviour: Drug-dealing and associated anti-social behaviour in the ward has upset nearby residents. I worked with the local police, LCC Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour Teams, and other councillors to address the issue of problem tenants being placed near vulnerable people. This led to a stronger response from the authorities, and the issues seem to have been resolved to the satisfaction of the residents.

Community Facilities: Otley needs more community facilities and has too many empty buildings. I’ve worked for two years with the Town Council and community groups to deliver the 3G Artificial sports pitch at Prince Henry’s. I help organise the Otley Live Music Festival. I’m also involved in developing a community bid to acquire the Methodist Church for community use.

Street Cleansing: A number of areas in the ward haven’t had their gullies or drains cleaned for years due to on-street parking. I liaised with LCC to organise a day of action to sweep streets and pavements and jetwash blocked gullies around Cambridge Street.

Road Safety:I pushed for speed indicator devices (SIDs) to be used at speeding hotspots in Danefield Ward. The Leeds Road SID will be relocated, and one or two more may be set up on larger roads in the next two years, based on traffic surveys. There are also plans for 20mph zones in many parts of town.

Potholes: Various streets in the ward – such as Albion St, South View Terrace and Orchard Street – have poor road surfaces. Full resurfacing is not planned in the near future, so I liaised with LCC Highways to persuade them to patch surfaces and fill potholes in the meantime.

Richard’s priorities

for Danefield ward in the next 4 years

East of Otley Development: work with planners, city and town councillors and community groups to stop an inappropriate development and make sure the plans provide quality sustainable homes, affordable housing for young people, more green spaces and sites for sports clubs, and less traffic coming into the town.

Community Facilities: work with local groups and the Town Council to acquire a community hub to provide spaces for local groups to meet and widen the range of cultural events.

Cleaner Streets: work with senior Leeds councillors and officers to get better local services, especially pothole-filling, blocked drains and street cleaning.

Road Safety: lobby Town Council colleagues to prioritise speed indicator devices in and around Danefield Ward where speed limits are ignored.

Bus Services: keep working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and bus companies to get more reliable bus services round the Cambridge Estate.

Access to the Chevin: work with Leeds to restart the Chevin Users Forum and look at ways to improve parking, signposting and access from the town, making the Chevin a better place for the community and the environment.