THREE options have emerged from debate on the future of traffic management in Richmond - but none will be implemented until the public have had a chance to comment.

North Yorkshire County Council has spent much of the year so far considering possible solutions to town centre congestion.

A workshop was held in February, at which leading members of the community were invited to air their views on where the problems lie.

Among the issues raised were traffic flow in and out of the Market Place, a conflict between pedestrians and cars and buses and the lack of a bus shelter in the town centre.

Since then, consultants have been working on possible solutions and three options are now ready for scrutiny.

The first option concentrates on the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, and includes a raft of measures which would protect them from traffic.

Those measures include the introduction of 20mph zones on Queens Road, Victoria Road, Hurgill Road, Quaker Lane and Bargate and a one-way system and wider footpaths on Rosemary Lane.

The second proposes a wider 20mph zone and better pedestrian access to the River Swale from the town centre.

The third and perhaps most radical option includes elements of all three but also suggests removing most of the buses from the Market Place and relocating them to Queen's Road, expanding the pedestrianised zone around the obelisk and creating more parking places.

However, a report tabled at the county council's Richmondshire area committee meeting on Friday did not come down in favour of any of the proposals.

Instead, members were urged to agree that all three should be presented to the public for consultation.

The results of that consultation will then be presented back to the council in October.

A week-long exhibition of all the options has also been agreed although the date and location has not yet been confirmed