PARISH councillors discussed whether their Worth Valley village would benefit from drawing up its own neighbourhood development plan to shape the future of the community.

The matter was on the agenda of the latest full meeting of Oxenhope Parish Council.

A completed Neighbourhood Development Plan would give the village a statutory say in where any new building developments would be located.

It would also give local people a chance to influence what new homes and offices in their parish should look like.

Parish council chairman Councillor Neal Cameron said he had met with two representatives from a social enterprise called Integreat Plus, who have put forward a quote of £12,000 to help the parish formulate a detailed neighbourhood plan.

Coun Cameron asked his fellow councillors to think about whether Oxenhope should have its own plan.

"I'm a bit on the fence about this, it is a big commitment," he said. "I don't expect a decision on this tonight.

"There would be some noise in terms of how we would raise the necessary cash. We may have to diminish our reserves, and would it be worth it?

"It is possible that in two years time Bradford Council will still have not signed off our plan. It needs to be signed off by them first before it can be signed off by the planning inspectorate.

"This is a long, drawn out process.

"It would be great if lots of people got involved with putting the plan together, but we have to face the fact that this might not happen, and it'll end up just being ourselves working on it."

Coun Tony Maw agreed that people outside the parish council would need to participate in order to make a neighbourhood development plan viable.

Coun Derrick Hopkinson warned: "You'll only get interest from people in the village if it directly affects them."

Coun Cameron stressed that the fee quoted by Integreat Plus was just one possible example, adding that the council would not be obliged to hire this particular organisation.