I was dismayed to read Richard Askham’s letter as he is missing a few key points here.

There is an abundance of charity shops because they get reduced rents. The rentals for shops in Otley have become ridiculously high for other businesses so that is why many do not survive – they are being driven out because of this; it is nothing to do with a lack of footfall.

Since the proposals for the east of Otley, there have been plenty of other housing projects in Otley, all without a proper improvement in infrastructure. (Except for more supermarkets!) This appears to have been glossed over, with one development converting a primary school into housing.

I know of people who have been unable to get their children into schools in Otley because of this, yet Mr Askham thinks that it is OK to allow a load more houses to be built. Where are the schools, GPs and dentists? All the current ones are full to bursting. With regards to the bypass solving all ills, I take it that the people who buy in the new development will not be allowed to use their cars to drive into Otley and use the supermarkets etc or will they be made to use public transport? Of course they won’t – Otley is gridlocked already and is a total nightmare at certain times of day. A load more houses and cars are going to make Otley centre impossible. As for pedestrianisation, how about people with restricted mobility?

Where will they park, in the handful of designated spaces that are always full since parking is not allowed in the market square?

Otley needs new affordable housing and the recent fiasco of the hospital site development being approved despite only three out of 61 being affordable would be a joke if it wasn’t so serious.

As for the developers providing money for public transport, how is that measly amount going to solve anything? Leeds planners need to be far more open with the people of Otley and look at improving the infrastructure of Otley before any new housing is allowed. More schools, GPs and dentists need to be built and we need a railway station, otherwise the A660, A659 etc will become a car park; it’s bad enough now.

Building more houses unless they are affordable to boost the economy is crazy; there is no forethought and all it will bring to Otley is misery as the roads are clogged and people fight to get GPs, dentists and their children into schools.

Not a vision for Otley that I would like to see!

Caroline Davis, Otley