OTLEY’S Citizens Advice Bureau has been saved thanks to a new deal.

The service has been thrown a lifeline just days before it looked certain to close as part of a city-wide shake-up by Leeds CAB.

The organisation had confirmed last month that drop-in advice sessions at its Otley branch were to stop at the end of March - a decision that seemed to have sealed the Courthouse Street bureau’s fate.

But Otley Town Council, following discussions with Leeds CAB’s chief executive Dianne Lyons, is now planning to increase its support to enable the service to continue two days a week.

Council leader Councillor John Eveleigh (Lab, Ashfield), who will put the £14,000 a year proposal to the Policy and Resources committee next Monday, said: “We are delighted to have negotiated a good deal both for the town council and for the local CAB.

“It was imperative that we kept the advice service in the town, and this Continued on page two Continued from page one deal builds on the successful partnership that our two organisations have enjoyed over the past four years.

“It is likely that the service will operate for two days a week and that, in addition to the superb voluntary service, there will be dedicated specialist advice for people with debt and pension issues.”

Cllr Kevin Cooney (Lab, West Chevin) helped secure the arrangement, which is essentially a new contract. He said: “With the Government attacks on the most vulnerable in our community we really wanted to retain and build on our successful working relationship with the CAB, whose service is needed more than ever.”

Otley CAB will offer debt and pension services under the new deal, supplemented by volunteer support with both telephone and face-to-face advice.

An Otley CAB supporter, who asked not to be identified, said: “This is good news for Otley and surrounding areas, although it has been hard to see how Leeds City Council and Leeds CAB could ever contemplate plans that would have had the effect of excluding the people of Outer North West Leeds from access to any local, face-to-face advice services - with the loss of more than 20 dedicated and able volunteers.

“Otley Town Council and the city council’s Outer North West Community Committee have consistently given their full support to retaining a CAB in Otley to serve the communities of Otley, Wharfedale, Guiseley, Horsforth, Rawdon, Yeadon and beyond.

“Welcome though it is, this proposal appears only to be for an appointment based service at the Otley bureau.

“I hope the town council and Leeds CAB will ensure that local people will also be able to drop in to the bureau for information and to make appointments, as they currently do.”

Leeds CAB had said the ending of drop-in advice sessions at Otley, along with Pudsey, Crossgates and Morley, was necessary due to a ten per cent cut in its funding from Leeds.

Ms Lyons was questioned about the rationale behind the move at last week’s Outer North West Community Committee meeting - when it was pointed out that Otley was, in fact, the most efficient local bureau.