COUNCILLORS have invited the public to give their views on what facilities, attractions or services should be accommodated in Keighley Civic Centre.

A Keighley Town Council committee tasked with finding a viable way forward for the troubled North Street building has agreed to open the matter up to townsfolk.

People now have until December 18 to make their own suggestions on what the civic centre can be used for.

The council's civic centre strategy committee chairman, Councillor Michael Westerman, said: "As a committee we are open and transparent and we want to involve and engage with the public.

"We have to move forward with this, because while the building is standing empty it's not making money but we have to explore every possibility.

"We've already had a very good suggestion from former town councillor Ron Beale, who came up with the idea of using part of the building as a drop-in health centre.

"Personally I think that's an excellent idea, and will be following it up with the [Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven] Clinical Commissioning Group.

"All of this will feed into the public consultation on this building which we're going to hold."

As previously reported, Cllr Westerman said potential solutions put forward so far include selling the building, re-establishing a police presence in part of it, re-opening its closed facilities to bring in revenue or applying to the Government to have the debt incurred by the council when it took over the building reduced or "extinguished".

The civic centre opened in the former police station in 2012, but has been the subject of fierce controversy since it was revealed to be losing money.

Keighley Town Council bought and converted the building using two loans totalling £1.1 million to be paid back over 50 years.

The council had to close the property's police and forensic science museum, shop, cafe and bar after doubts surfaced over whether it had a legal right to trade in the building.

Cllr Westerman said written suggestions for the civic centre's future can be dropped off by hand in the letter box at the centre itself, or posted to: Civic Centre Strategy Committee, Keighley Town Council, Keighley Civic Centre, North Street, Keighley, BD21 3RZ.

He added that people could also voice their ideas at the next town council open format meeting, which is designed to give parishioners more of a say in what the council should be focusing on.

The meeting will be held at 10.30am in Central Hall, Alice Street, on Thursday, December 17.