CRUCIAL talks are to be held over the future of a North Yorkshire highways depot and its prime town centre site.

The busy depot, in North Road in Stokesley, has long been regarded as out of keeping with the town's historic character.

The county council owns the 2.4 acre site and has admitted for some time that, with its present use, the area is "not a good neighbour".

Because of that, the authority wants to sell the land and move its operation to a purpose-built depot in Stokesley Industrial Park.

Hambleton District Council has offered the county the chance to buy a site of just over an acre on the park - and the county is keen to take it up.

But first, the two sides must come to an agreement over the future of the North Road site, which local planning policy has designated as ideal for housing or car parking.

North Yorkshire's director of environmental services, Mike Moore, said: "There have been complaints from residents close to the existing site because of the out-of-hours working forced on us by winter maintenance and surface dressing.

"We have known for a number of years that we are not a good neighbour in this part of town."

He said that a move to the industrial park would be sensible both from the economic and environmental points of view.

"A new site could be located away from the predominantly urban location and any new operation would not take up as much land," he said.

Hambleton's economic development manager Paul Whittaker said having a depot in such a position was "not good planning."

He said: "There are better locations than in the centre of an historic market town. It makes sense to relocate and put the present site to a better use."

Stokesley district councillor Michael Richardson said various options had been mooted for the site over the years.

"Moving the depot will be welcomed, but a lot will depend on what goes on to the site," he said.