A PLAN by Malton Town Council to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee next year by building a bandstand or a clock has been backed by Ryedale district councillors.

The community services and licensing committee was told by its chairwoman, Councillor Elizabeth Shields: "It is an excellent idea".

She added that she disagreed with the issues raised by council officers in a report and said she welcomed the town council's wish to do something for Malton's market place.

The matter would have to go before the district authority's planning committee, she said, but, in principle, she believed the scheme should be agreed.

The committee had been told that officers had raised a number of issues about the ideas, including whether the structure of a bandstand would be permanent or temporary, its size, the loss of parkiing bays, whether traffic flows would be affected and where it might be sited on the market place.

The issue now goes back to the town council to put forward detailed plans for its commemoration project.

Town clerk Gerry Cheetham had told the committee that one possible position for a bandstand would be in front of the Milton Rooms but no site had been considered for the clock, other than the market place.

He said the project was "at an investigative stage". Three sites had been suggested for a bandstand, he added.

The Fitzwilliam Estate had supported the venture, said Mr Cheetham, and it is hoped the scheme will be completed before the jubilee celebrations in June.