THE chairman of a council committee about to decide the fate of car parks and offices in Richmond has resigned.

Councillor Richard Dunn, who is also deputy chairman of Richmondshire District Council, has stepped down as the resources committee chairman.

The committee is due to meet on June 22 to discuss the proposed sale of Station Road and York Square car parks and the authority's Richmond offices to fund new £4.5m headquarters in Colburn.

The plans have sparkedsuch huge protests in Richmond that two previous attempts to hold the meeting failed after 800 people turned up to hear the debate.

Coun Dunn said yesterday: "It is a personal decision and I have no further comment."

Council leader, Councillor John Blackie, said: "I am very sorry that he has not taken on the chairmanship of the resources committee. There must be pressing personal reasons.

"He was a fine chairman of the community committee for three years and I think we were looking forward to his chairmanship of the resources committee as it goes through some fairly interesting times in the next few months."

On Wednesday, the Conservative group, the dominant party on the council, announced it would not support a recommendation by officers to sell Station Road car park.

A previous report by officers recommended it should be sold to pay for the move to Colburn. New recommendations are due to be published on Wednesday.

Council chief executive Harry Tabiner said the Conservatives' statement appeared to blame officers.

He said: "It would be completely wrong to assume that the recommendations were solely officer-generated.

"The recommendations, including the one about Station Road car park, emerged from a series of meetings with members, including the leader and deputy leader."

Richmond mayor and district councillor Stuart Parsons said: "I do not think any blame should be on the officers for this. They have obviously carried out what they were asked to carry out."

Coun Blackie said: "I do not think it is a blaming situation. The officers have a right to put forward whatever recommendations they wish. It is up to members to agree those recommendations."