Traffic chaos will engulf Otley unless a bypass is built before major housing and industrial developments begin, a city councillor has warned.

Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) says it is crucial the east of Otley relief road is completed to prepare for extra traffic generated by proposals in the Leeds Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

He says the building of 400 homes between the bypass and the town, and the start of gravel extraction at nearby Midgley Farm, will signal disaster for Otley.

Coun Kirkland said: "There's not even a sign of the bypass starting because the City Council is depending on someone building houses to pay for it first.

"But it is already planning to build so many houses in Pool and Bramhope as well, that the A660 will just not be able to cope - it's already at saturation point."

Coun Kirkland was speaking after the unveiling of the Government Inspector's report into the draft UDP - to provide the planning blueprint for Leeds until 2006.

In it, the Inspector recommends the building of the relief road to reduce traffic through Otley and surrounding villages such as Pool-in-Wharfedale and Bramhope.

However, despite taking traffic off the surrounding roads, the proposed bypass would not carry sufficient numbers of vehicles to warrant public sector funding. Funding would have to come from private development on the surrounding green fields.

The inspector also backs plans to extract gravel from Midgley Farm off Pool Road, although directing them to Otley instead of through Pool to Leeds.

"If the gravel extraction starts without a bypass, Otley will be swamped by lorries. If people think it's bad now, it will be appalling once they start work there," said Coun Kirkland.

"It seems they are hinting at a phased completion of the bypass which is no good at all once the gravel extraction begins."

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