OTLEY Town Council is urging residents to help it spend £10,000.

The shortlist for this year's Voice Your Choice scheme has now been finalised, and the public are being asked to cast a vote for their favourite.

This year's projects, all proposed by residents, include a major expansion of Otley Skate Park, creating an access path and viewing platform at Beacon Hill, and installing five heritage boards around town.

The project – or projects, as some only need a portion of the available funds – that receives the most votes between tomorrow and the deadline of noon on September 14 will be backed by the council.

Community development officer, Jason Knowles, said: "Following the call for project ideas from residents, a shortlist of seven have been drawn up to choose from.

"Otley residents now have the opportunity to vote via a scoring system. The project with the highest score following the public ballot will be supported, then the second choice and so on until the money is exhausted.

"You can vote online at surveymonkey.com/r/voiceyourchoice2015 or use the ballot paper found in the September edition of Otley Matters."

The skate part expansion would cost the full £10,000 and involve adding three new pieces of equipment – a quarter pipe, fly-off ramp and manual pad.

The supporting statement for it said: "Otley Skate Park is a centre for youth culture in Otley, with skateboarding and wheeled sports increasingly growing in popularity.

"With increased numbers of users, Otley skate park is in need of expansion to keep existing users engaged and inspire new users, in turn allowing a vital part of local youth culture to grow and flourish."

Other initiatives hoping to get a funding boost include the Gallows Hill Community Garden.

That project, driven by Otley environmental group Practically Green, aims to set up an orchard in part of the nature reserve so Otley residents can "see for themselves how easy it is to grow some food in your own back garden".

The Navvies Monument Restoration bid, meanwhile, is seeking £5,500 to repair and conserve the Grade II listed memorial in Church Lane "for posterity, so the people of Otley and visitors can enjoy the monument in the future".

There is also a £2,500 scheme to create a guided walking trail, with accompanying maps and leaflets, to guide visitors around some of the town's hidden heritage.

And Walkers Are Welcome Otley are seeking £300 to produce a 45-page guidebook – and associated waymarks – for a 28-mile circular walk that links Otley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Baildon.

Voice Your Choice ballot papers can be posted in boxes at Otley Core Resource Centre, Otley Library, Otley Courthouse, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Prince Henry’s Grammar School, All Saints Primary School, Ashfield Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School, Westgate Primary School and The Whartons Primary School.