CONSULTATION letting people comment on controversial plans to build on a town car park has been called a waste of money.

Richmondshire District Council will submit a planning application for housing on Yorke Square Car Park, Richmond. If the authority's councillors back the application, the site could be sold to raise money for its new £4.5m headquarters in Colburn.

Residents are invited to comment on the plans before the application is submitted.

But Councillor Stuart Parsons, Richmond mayor and a critic of the move to Colburn, said that more than 7,000 people had signed a petition against the sell-off.

He said: "They know what we think, so what is the point of a consultation? We do not want the car park to be sold and we do not want it built on.

"This is a total waste of time, effort and money."

Tony Clark, the council's deputy chief executive, said: "We would like to hear the views of a wide range of people, but particularly those who feel they will be most affected.

"Those views will feed into the detailed design process undertaken by the project architects, which will then be submitted as a planning application."

The plans will be on display at the Zetland Centre, in Victoria Road, Richmond, on September 15, from 11am to 7pm; at the council's community office, in Dundas Street, Richmond, from September 16 to 22 and at Richmond Town Hall on September 17, from 10am to noon.

A public meeting will take place at the Zetland Centre at 7.30pm on September 22.

The plans will also be on the council's website.