BAILDON Town Council will continue to fill a more prominent role in the community, according to its leader as it celebrates its tenth anniversary.

The council’s milestone will be marked with an invitation-only event on Thursday, November 2, from 7.30pm to 10pm, at Baildon Golf Club, Moorgate.

Councillor Peter Ashton, who was voted BTC chairman for the 12 months from May this year, will make a speech.

BTC (formerly Baildon Parish Council) was set up in 2007, following a petition to Bradford Council by local residents. BTC now has 12 councillors.

Cllr Ashton, 64, who was initially elected in 2013, said: “All of our councillors are volunteers, who do not receive any pay and put a lot of work in. It is our way of thanking all of those people. It is a way to celebrate the great idea that people had ten years ago to set it up. They would not have realised then how important it would have become.

“It is growing and will continue to grow.

“When it was set up ten years ago, the council could not have foreseen the economic difficulties that happened a year later. This had a great impact on the services that Bradford Council can provide.

“We have developed rather than just added value to what Bradford Council provides.

“We have had to change role and take over ownership of a greater proportion of some of those services.”

In August last year, Bracken Hall Countryside Centre was taken over by BTC. It will also take over the running of the town’s public toilets in Northgate from April next year.

It also helps fund events in the town including a farmers’ market and Baildon in Bloom and helped set up the Baildon Walkers are Welcome group.

The area which it serves covers all of Baildon, stretching from the River Aire at Roberts Park, along Otley Road through Charlestown and Tong Park, with all areas in between, and up through the village centre to Baildon Moor. The area is divided into six wards, with two councillors to represent each ward.

The councillors are: East ward, David Shaw and Gill Dixon; North ward, John Turner and Les Vasey; South-east, Chris Flecknoe and Mathew Ward; South ward, Joe Ashton (plus vacancy); West ward, Peter Ashton and Lynne Ware; south-west ward, Lesley Brook and Jane Dunn.

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There are six committees which carry out BTC’s work. The chairman and vice-chairman are members of all committees – finance and general purpose, Bracken Hall, planning, environment, economy and community.

A full council meeting takes place each month.

A by-election for Baildon South Ward will be held on Thursday, November 9.

The candidates are David McDougall (Ind) and Thomas Sutton (Standing up for Baildon South).