BINGLEY’S new town council – which includes Crossflatts – has been formally established.

And there is a call for residents to raise concerns during a public forum next week.

Councillor Terry Brown was unanimously voted in as chairman by his 15 colleagues, drawn from Bingley, Cottingley, Crossflatts, Micklethwaite, Eldwick and Gilstead.

“It’s an honour – we’re 16 councillors who don’t yet know each other, and it is only by working together that we’ll achieve what we want for Bingley,” he said.

On the question of whether that role should have the title of mayor, Cllr Brown said he had always supported the idea, in the view it would raise the town’s profile.

He was backed by Cllr Ros Dawson, but councillors Geoff Winnard and Joe Wheatley raised concerns it might give an impression of “grandiose” intentions, which might open the fledgling council to ridicule.

Cllr Andrew Quarrie questioned if there would be a an immediate cost in having to insure what he called “the baronial chain”.

“There are no delusions of grandeur and one point is that if a woman were to take the post, she would not have to be a 'chairman’,” Cllr Dawson replied.

The motion to have a mayor instead of a chairman was defeated by nine votes to seven.

Cllr Dawson was elected as vice-chairman by a vote of eight to seven, with one abstention.

Committees for finance and general purposes, planning and staffing were all elected.

It was agreed to take on an interim town clerk to work a maximum of 20 hours a week, to be reviewed after two months.

It was approved to research the cost of buying a laptop, telephone and printer for clerical use and also the setting up of a Bingley Town Council website.

The first annual town meeting will take place on Tuesday at the 1st Bingley Scouts’ headquarters in Sycamore Road, Bingley.

Items up for debate include the issues of understocked flowerbeds and the future of derelict council-owned buildings.

Also on the agenda will be the futures of the town’s market and swimming baths, policing and how information can best be communicated from the council to residents.

Cllr Michelle Chapman, who founded the Bingley Flood Support Group, also called for residents concerned about flooding to attend the meeting and keep the matter high on any list of priorities.

She said although people are now enjoying the dry, sunny weather, many are still suffering five months after the Boxing Day disaster.

Speaking after last Thursday’s meeting at Bingley Arts Centre, Cllr Brown said the new council already had an enthusiastic attitude.

He added: “I think everyone was surprised by the good number of people who turned up from the electorate, and it was good as it showed us they are interested in what we’re doing and we’ve got to show a unified position, which involves the whole community."