A town with big environmental credentials
Sitting astride the River Wharfe, guarded by the magnificent Chevin escarpment and on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, Otley is one of West Yorkshire’s greenest towns when it comes to its natural environment.
Residents and visitors alike can enjoy long country walks and plenty of fresh air amongst the trees on the Chevin, at Wharfemeadows Park and the Gallows Hill Nature Reserve. But the town’s commitment to the environment stretches far beyond simply being in a pretty location.
Otley is home to the River Wharfe’s only hydroelectric power station, while the surrounding hills are dotted with wind turbines in an effort to reduce emissions and look for natural power sources.
We were also the first town in the UK to be declared Wildlife Friendly and the first to have a wildlife arts festival.
Council initiatives such as StreetVision 2030 and Otley Neighbourhood Plan aim to transform the town’s roads, streets and public spaces over the next decade to create a calmer, safer, greener town for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
Meanwhile, local organisations such as Otley 2030 aim to bring the town together to create climate-friendly and sustainable communities where people and nature flourish together.
The future’s green, the future’s Otley.