' A GOOD year of hard work and progress'.

That is the Chairman of Otley Town Council's verdict on the organisation's record over the past 12 months.

Councillor Ray Georgeson (Lib Dem, Danefield), speaking at the council's AGM this week, outlined some of its key recent achievements.

He told the meeting he had highlights to report from each of the council's four key priority areas - of promoting trade and tourism, improving the environment, healthy lives and wellbeing, and good council governance.

Cllr Georgeson singled out completing a new Tourism Strategy - with Otley BID, Otley Chamber of Trade and Otley Town Partnership - and the creation of Otley Ambassadors as important milestones.

Turning to the likelihood of hire boats returning to the River Wharfe, he said: "We, alongside colleagues from BID and Leeds City Council, have persevered to support Chris Thornton in his project to restore a rowing boat hire service.

"You will have seen from recent reports and work down at the river steps that this project is nearly, but not quite, there and everybody involved hopes to be able to announce a start date sooner rather than later.

"There are still some safety compliance tasks to finish, but we look forward to the return of boats on the river this summer."

In terms of the environment Cllr Georgeson said the appointment of a new, part-time Otley Town Caretaker - due to start on June 5 - should help tackle the problem of persistent 'dirt and detritus' in certain areas.

He also outlined future projects to tackle cigarette butt waste and dog fouling, and of larger schemes in the pipeline including the creation of a new community IT project at Weston Community Centre.

And he confirmed that Leeds will be considering the town council's request for a review of the number of town councillors needed in Otley - with the local preference being to reduce the total from 20 to 15.

Reflecting on the work done by all the - volunteer - councillors over the year, Cllr Georgeson added: "We don’t do it alone of course and we remain grateful for the collaboration and great support of the many business, community, cultural, sporting and religious and voluntary organisations in the town that make up the warp and weft of the community.

"We try our best to work in partnership and look to others to reciprocate. and look forward to more of this in the year that comes."

The council agreed in January to raise the 2017-18 precept by 16 per cent - an increase that amounts to an £11.51 a year rise for Band D households.