AN organisation which has looked after Otley for more than 25 years has taken a difficult decision to close.

Otley Town Partnership, which been in existence since 1998, is concluding its service to the town.

Steph Lee, chair of Otley Town Partnership (OTP), said: “We’ve technically closed as we finished at the end of July, but we’ve been meeting to tie up loose ends.

“Once we’ve finished our funds must be given back and returned to the community.

“We’ve recently just given £5,000 to Weston Lane Juniors Football Club.

“They’re completing the whole of the outside of their building. They’re also installing more solar panels.

“It’s been a very successful project and it’s a club that involves dozens and dozens of children in the community.”

Steph said the town partnership would also be giving £10,000 to Otley Common for its share to purchase and renovate Otley Methodist Church as a place for the community owned by the community.

Otley Town Partnership has been going since 1998, and Steph, who has been involved for about 13 years, said: “It was initially set up to try and help Otley.

“Over the years we have run Otley Farmers Market, Otley Food and Drink Festival as well as the very successful Otley Victorian Fayre.

“Otley is a designated conservation area and OTP has always worked to protect that status through two very important groups, Transport and Environment.

“We’ve always tried to look after the town.”

The town partnership was also instrumental helping to establish the Otley Business Improvement District (BID) “It was the first ever BID in West Yorkshire and is the only one that is volunteer run. It brings about £75,000 into the town.”

Steph said OTP ran the Otley Victorian Fayre, but that event is now run by Otley Events Company Ltd.

“It was time to pass the torch to another group. In some ways, they are the natural successor to us but they are more involved in environmental endeavours.”

Steph explained that Otley Town Partnership made a very difficult decision earlier this year to close.

She said: “For us, it’s a case of age like a lot of volunteer organisations, and we’ve done our stint for the town.

“There are five of us and at the moment we’re meeting every month to dispense of our money.

“We’ve chosen quite carefully to be a benefit to the town.

“We’ve recently just given £6,000 to a scout group which they will use for a storage container and solar panels for their building.

“We also awarded £1,500 to Otley Museum which will allow them to digitise their photographs.”