Bingley needs a massive overhaul of its tourism facilities if it is not to be left behind, a major report claims today.

A study by DTZ Pieda Consulting, sponsored by Bingley Partnership, identifies nine key objectives if the town's tourism potential is to be maximised - but these depend on the £48m relief road getting the go-ahead.

Among the proposals is a Leeds & Liverpool Canal Visitor Centre. Bingley Civic Trust chairman Bryan Hobson says this could be housed in the soon-to-be-redundant National School.

"It's big enough and to preserve the school as a visitor centre (explaining the history of the canal) would be a great fillip to the town," he said.

Though Bingley Canal Corridor is an established tourism centre little is done to encourage the 250,000 visitors each year into the town centre, says the report. Its potential is not being maximised for the benefit of the town as a whole.

One way of improving marketing would be to sell Bingley by 'branding' it - probably by using the Five Rise Locks as a logo or slogan, adds the report.

Improvements to car parking are also considered vital as are better signs if visitors are to learn what Bingley has to offer.

A canal/heritage trail, including ten of the town's most interesting buildings, would also boost the town's tourism image.

An 'Events Strategy' would raise the tourism profile and bring the community together.

Past fairs and festivals and canal-based events as well as Bingley's millennium celebrations would also be marketed strongly, it suggests.

Environmental improvements to Canal Street, Crossflatts, industrial/commercial frontages south of Park Road and bridges are also called for. The canal corridor and its links with the town centre should also be improved.

The report, which is over 100 pages long, considers what should happen if the road does not get the go-ahead, an event which it says will have catastrophic effects.

It says: "It is the option which will achieve the least benefits for the town. The decision to cancel the relief road will in fact have severe negative economic impacts on the town and significantly undermine the prospects for the creation of a vibrant and sustainable future for the new millennium."

It adds: "With so much hinging on the decision on the relief road it is clear at this stage that the future of Bingley is not in the hands of the Bingley Partnership but those of Government and its decisions will have a critical influence on how regeneration of the Canal Corridor is shaped."

A promising development is the number of operators interested in obtaining a presence in Bingley, among them Argos, Ethel Austin, Peacocks, MacDonalds DriveThru, Kwik Save and Iceland, says the report.

However, many larger operators may be put off by the lack of development sites, suitable sized premises and floorspace. And the centre, according to one agent, needs more than £100,000 spending on it to improve its facilities.

Whichever plans are put into action, the results are likely to be some time in coming with a planned timescale of anything up to 15 years.

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