The management of the Bingley Town Centre Partnership has been bitterly criticised amid claims that it is 'unaccountable'.

The powerful and highly influential Partnership is chaired by Shipley MP Chris Leslie and is the main engine for change in the town.

Its key members include major employers, the Bradford & Bingley Building Society and Damart, the police and representatives from community organisations.

One of its roles is co-ordinating the activities of town centre manager David Dinsey.

Meetings are closed to the public and Press and no reports of its activities are published.

Donald Wood, a former chairman of the Better Bingley Campaign, said he was very concerned that it had become "heavily politicised".

He told a BBC meeting: "I have grave reservations about it. It has become very, very politicised and has become utterly dominated by Bradford Council and it has become its tool.

"The disturbing aspect is that it does not seem to be accountable. There never appears to be any account of what happens in the Press. Why is the Press not invited to its meetings?

"It is far too secret and it definitely seems to operate in an undemocratic way. There are no elections - why not if it is a public body operating in a democratic fashion?''

His comments were cautiously backed by retiring chairman of the BBC, Philip Smith, who said: "Any criticism of the Partnership has to be very careful. My dispute with it was about its secrecy. I don't think there's a case for keeping things secret apart from commercial sensitivities - we can't risk upsetting companies like Damart and the Bradford & Bingley.''

The Conservative's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate David Senior, who attended the meeting, said afterwards: "This unelected quango was foisted on Bingley by a Labour MP who effectively appointed himself as chairman and chief spokesman.

"Unless the Partnership rapidly adopts an open democratic structure, finds an independent chairman and gives the media access to all non-commercially sensitive meetings, it risks being eclipsed by the proposed town council as the authentic voice of Bingley.''

But Mr Leslie said: "The Partnership is an organisation with one objective which is to bring the best of the community groups and council and elected representatives together to try and improve facilities in the town centre.

"I have no objection to Press and media attending meetings but this is not in my gift, it's up to the members. We should adopt Council procedures for excluding people when necessary. I will put it to the next meeting of the Partnership in June.

''If we are going to be constantly thwarted and criticised for purely political reasons progress will become more and more difficult and that would be a big shame.

''The main thing for me is getting the road finished and the Myrtle Walk precinct development started.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.