WHEN it comes to the base for Otley Town Council, the Labour party, who run the Otley Town Council, have acted recklessly and with the usual lack of responsibility when it comes to taxpayers’ money.

It is a disgrace and undemocratic that they have tied the hands of future town councils and indeed the town by failing to have a break clause in the contract on the lease on the rented shop that they are currently based in, having spent a small fortune refurbishing the building that they don’t even own.

As Councillor Jim Spencer said at the time, signing this lease is basically a death knell for the civic centre. We also have the listed old library and one-stop shop up for sale. Otley is a proud town and we need a proper civic building and at the moment the Labour Party are preventing that happening. Otley town council could and should be investing in one of these buildings.

The basic fact is this one, that the Labour Town Councillors can’t wriggle out of: they promised on many leaflets to “save” the centre and have failed to do so and now instead are spending our money renting a shop. That is letting Otley residents down and will leave us with no town hall.

Peter Jackson

Ashfield Ward Candidate

The Oval, Otley