Dunnies cafe was an old fashioned Transport style cafe on the banks of the River Wharfe in Otley. It had been on this site for nearly 90 years and was part of the social fabric of Otley.The cafe was well known across the North of England and attracted many visitors from far and wide to Otley.

The cafe catered for a wide variety of customers, locals, tradesmen ,bikers, cyclists and walkers. It also provided an important meeting place for the elderly people of the area, the disabled, disadvantaged and underpriviledged.

Gladmans/Adlingtons gained planning permission to build a care home on the site adjacent to Dunnies cafe after an appeal.The origional application was rejected by the local planners, MP, and councillers. The MP also tried to get the cafe rated as an Asset of Community value. This was rejected by Leeds Council on a technicality which was later proved to be incorrect.Greg Mulholland later brought this up the House of Commons. Gladmans/Adlington also bought the cafe and plan to demolish the cafe and use the land it stands on as a garden for the care home.

The removal of the cafe from this site completely changes the charecter of the riverside area of Otley and has left very many people without a regular meeting place. Dunnies Cafe was a very special place for many people in the local area and beyond. The removal of the cafe does not seem to reflect a caring attitude by Gladmans/Adlington or the Methodist Housing Association who are involved in the scheme.

Gladmans/Adlington had the financial power to appeal against the planning decision and ride roughshod over the views of the local MP, coucil, planners and the community. They also have the financial power to provide a replacement cafe as supported by the MP.

Please sign the petition and support Greg Mulholland MP in his attemps to persuade Gladmans/Adlingtons to keep Dunnies Cafe in Otley.