A FORMER town planner has been appointed the new vicar of St Mary's parish church, Scarborough.

The Reverend Martyn Dunning was rector of St Mary's, Brandesburton, and rural dean of North Holderness, and is to be licensed priest-in-charge at the church, in the shadow of Scarborough's Norman Castle, on October 1, by the Bishop of Hull, the Rt Reverend Richard Frith. Before entering the ministry, Mr Frith was involved in urban and county planning in Britain and Africa.

ON SIDE: A £1.25m plan has been set up by Yorkshire Coast College, Scarborough, to build a sports hall and football academy. Howard Newton, the assistant principal, said the venture would benefit all of the college's 10,000 full and part time students.

PLAN REJECTED: A scheme to convert and extend agricultural barns into five homes with garages and access at a North Yorkshire village has been rejected by planning officials. Mealia Partnership applied to Harrogate Borough Council for the scheme at Killinghall Moor Farm, Otley Road, Killinghall, north of Harrogate. Planners said it would be an overdevelopment and cause access problems.

MUSIC CALL: St Peter's town centre church choir in Harrogate is keen to expand its music collection. It is appealing for choral sheet music. For more details call (01423) 529179.

ALFRESC-NO: A scheme to create a patio seating area at the front of the listed Studley Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate, has been refused by planning officials. They said it would significantly affect the facade and setting of the building.

HEALTH MEETING: A public board meeting of the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary care Trust will be held at the Methodist Church Hall in Northallerton, tomorrow, at 2pm.

BAD MEDICINE: The primary health care trust for the Harrogate and district area is launching a campaign to get people to return unused medicines to their pharmacist so they can be safely disposed of.