Village clerics and councillors have joined forces to campaign for a parish council in Queensbury.

Ward Councillors Michael Walls and Stuart Hanson and Conservative candidate Tracey McNulty have teamed up with the village's six ministers to collect enough signatures to ask Bradford Council to set up the body.

Clerics from Holy Trinity, Church of the Nazarene, Queensbury Baptist Church, St Theresa's Catholic Church, West End Methodist Church and Union Croft Independent Chapel hope the proposed council will boost pride in the area and pay dividends for villagers.

The petition was started after the Reverend Peter Hedge, of Holy Trinity, West End, told Coun Walls that Queensbury churches felt a need for a parish council - only to find the politician had been working towards the same thing.

Mr Hedge said: "This was something that was mooted shortly after I arrived here about six years ago but there was not overwhelming support for it at the time. But I think public opinion has changed since then. It is the people of Queensbury themselves who are now saying they want to do this.

"People in Queensbury feel they are not heard."

Parish councils have a minimum of five members and can take over running allotments in the area as well as setting up sub-committees, such as planning, which means their views on planning applications will be heard by Bradford Council.

Coun Walls said: "It could set up any committees it thought appropriate. The parish clerk would write to the appropriate director with any issues the parish council wished to raise. Parish councillors are elected by the people in the parish but they are not elected on a party political basis.

"The main power of a parish council is that it is formed from local people to present their view of things they would like to see done in the area. We hope to develop from this a greater sense of community for the benefit of all Queensbury residents."

Campaigners have to collect signatures from ten per cent of voters, which means 1,200 people have to back the idea for City Hall chiefs to give it the green light.

The Reverend Louise Dickinson, of Queensbury Baptist Church, said: "I think people here are really excited about the idea. It is a chance for them to have a voice and feel that things are really being done in for Queensbury."

People can find out more at a public meeting on Wednesday at 7.30pm at Holy Trinity church, Queensbury.