COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead for the creation of a new Bingley town council – which will incorporate villages including Crossflatts.

Campaigners are celebrating the decision, calling it an "historic day" for the area.

The group behind the idea, Bingley Community Council Group, had written to every councillor ahead of last week's full Bradford Council meeting, lobbying for a yes vote.

At the meeting, the vote came down to the wire, with many Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors backing the idea, but many Labour councillors voting against it.

However, a significant number of Labour councillors abstained, and after a quick tally by council staff, it was announced that the idea had been voted through.

After the meeting, Ros Dawson, chairman of the Bingley Community Council Group, said: "I’m just so pleased. It is such a great, great day. It is such a historic day for Bingley, Cottingley, Crossflatts, Eldwick, Gilstead, and Micklethwaite.

"The whole point was that through this new town council our communities will have the opportunity to make a really big, positive difference.

"We will have a representative democratic body like so many places in Bradford."

There are currently 18 areas of the district with town or parish councils, funded through an extra precept on residents’ council tax bills.

This ranges from £7.50 per year for a band D home in Wrose to £42.69 per year for a band D home in Keighley.

For the Bingley group’s proposal to be considered by Bradford Council, it had to gather a petition signed by 10 per cent of the local population.

The proposal only narrowly got through the first stage, being approved by the council’s governance and audit committee last month.

Councillors there had been concerned about support levels for the town council idea locally, as well as people’s ability to pay an extra precept.

Committee members had also been worried that the town council covered too wide an area, but in the end voted to send it to full council for a final decision.

The new Bingley town council would come into being on April 1, 2016, with the election of its 16 town councillors held shortly afterwards to coincide with Bradford Council elections.

It would also take ownership of four allotment plots in the area.

Its estimated budget would be around £130,000, with an indicative precept for a band D property said to be around £15.35 a year.