A MAJOR shake-up of car parking could be on the way in Hambleton.

Yesterday, the district council's cabinet was being asked to approve a raft of measures in market towns across the area.

The aim is to support the vitality of town centres and ensure there is enough provision for development and growth.

But councillors were being told that £500,000 set aside for parking might not be enough to fund the entire strategy.

Other sources of finance will need to be considered and the whole concept will need to be seen as a longer-term blueprint with priorities.

And while a report from planning and environmental services director Steve Quartermain accepts there are financial risks involved, he says not going ahead with the scheme could mean the council is seen as not taking a lead on an important community issue.

"The attractiveness of our market towns as places to shop in, do business in and visit could be threatened because of insufficient parking," he says.

Mr Quartermain also warns there could be risks around public relations as, despite consultations, there could be local disagreement on proposals and priorities.

The strategy includes action plans for each market town.

These are:

* new long-stay parks in Northallerton, Thirsk, Stokesley and Bedale;

* re-designation of existing long-stay spaces to short/medium stay in Northallerton (Applegarth and Forum); Thirsk (Millgate) and Stokesley (High Street);

* a review of layouts to provide more spaces at Northallerton's Applegarth and Millgate in Thirsk;

* better car park signage in Northallerton, Thirsk, Bedale and Easingwold;

* Re-designation of short-stay spaces to long-stay at Finkle Street in Thirsk;

* better pedestrian access to the Bridge Street park in Bedale;

* changes to the management of market place parking in Northallerton, Thirsk and Easingwold.

In addition, the report suggests proposals for the Forum park at Northallerton be reviewed in the light of concern about the use of spaces.

Councillors heard visitors are disappointed with the parking available as it is linked to long-stay use by workers at the Friarage Hospital.

Action to formulate a strategy started in 2000 with data being collected from off-street car parks. Consultants evaluated this and recommended options for change which subsequently formed the basis of a draft strategy put before the council's cabinet in 2002.

After this, the plans went out for consultation with key stakeholders and the findings were detailed in a report in February 2003.

The strategy says boosting the number of parking places can be achieved by more efficient use of available space; more appropriate time limits; and extra parking where required through new building.

The cabinet was asked to adopt the proposals for further development; implement new signage immediately at a cost of up to £30,000; spend up to £15,000 on design and feasibility work; decide on the location of future new car parks in Northallerton, Thirsk, Stokesley and Bedale through the Local Development Framework; and review the Northallerton Forum situation in the light of findings of the cultural and social scrutiny committee.