THE Mayor of Colburn has resigned following a bitter row over his backing of plans for a waste station in the town.

Coun Peter Wood told a special meeting of town council members that his position as mayor had become untenable.

He alleged that some signatures on a petition calling for a vote of no confidence in him had been forged.

He also claimed some names on an earlier petition, which called on Richmondshire District Council to reject plans for the waste station, had been duplicated without the signatories' knowledge.

Organisers of the petitions urged Coun Wood to provide evidence of his claims.

Permission for the waste station was granted last month after district councillors heard it would help the authority meet Government recycling targets.

While Coun Wood said his resignation was not an admission of any wrongdoing, he admitted the controversy had resulted in a loss of confidence and respect for him among residents.

The meeting on Wednesday followed two months of uproar over proposals for a bulking station on part of the town's lorry park. The development would compact paper, glass and plastics for transport to a recycling plant at Thirsk.

Residents fear noise, smell and the displacement of lorries to surrounding streets.

Coun Wood was criticised for failing to support the protest and stating that he was happy with the proposals. The town council was due to discuss a vote of no confidence in him at its meeting next week.

He told the special meeting he had received hundreds of messages of support, but did not have the permission of those people to name them publicly.

He also alleged that residents had been given misleading information to encourage them to sign the petition.

"In addition, there is a significant number of names of people who have signed the petition who do not live in Colburn or who are not Colburn electors, being under the voting age," he said.

"More seriously, there are a number of instances who have come forward where it is now alleged that their signatures on the petition have been forged."

He said the only action for which he could be criticised was his failure to write to the district planning committee to reinforce the objections to the plans as a follow-up to an earlier letter from the town clerk.

His letter of resignation would be given to the council at its meeting on Thursday. He would continue as a district councillor for Colburn.

Coun Helen Grant, who led the protest against the waste station plans, said all ten town council members had attended the private meeting on Wednesday.

"Coun Wood made a number of unsubstantiated comments which, without evidence, I am not prepared to comment on," she said. "It is clear that the petition related to the recycling centre did not make reference to Coun Wood and that his decision to resign appeared to be related to a second petition."

She and fellow town councillor Lynn Miller felt the town council should look forward and continue to look after the needs and aspirations of the community.

* Letters to the Editor: page 22