I read with resignation last week about the possible closure of four railway station ticket offices in Leeds, part of a wider move that could see one in four stations closed nationally.

Of particular concern to me was the suggestion that the ticket office at Menston station will go.

In my ward the local station at Guiseley will retain its ticket office, which is good news, but I’m really concerned that hard-pressed commuters who currently use the station at Menston will choose to get the train at Guiseley to use the ticket office, instead of running the lottery of attempting to buy a ticket from a conductor on the train, or joining a long queue in Leeds station.

The car park at Guiseley, already full most days, is likely to come under even more pressure, meaning commuters will inevitably park in surrounding streets, many of them residential.

It’s obviously not fair for local people to face the prospect of having their streets clogged every weekday with parked cars, plus road-safety issues associated with the morning and evening rush hours.

I understand the money has to be saved and ticket machines could be installed but the reality is Guiseley station, and its surroundings, are likely to be see huge disruption if Menston loses its ticket office. I urge local people to get in touch with Metro, which has stayed suspiciously quiet on the subject, and Northern Rail to put pressure on them before a final decision is taken to close the ticket office at Menston.

Councillor Paul Wadsworth Guiseley & Rawdon Ward