PLANS to create a £600,000 car park in a bid to prevent a market town's relief road turning into a bypass are being shelved until the road is built - to see if it's really needed

Hambleton District Council has agreed not to sell off one Bedale's town centre car parks which would fund the new out-of-town one after protests from local people.

Instead, it will put money aside to ensure the gateway car park can be built after the £34m relief road is finished in 2016.

Councillor Carl Les told the council's cabinet that opinion in the town was split over whether the new gateway car park will be needed when the three mile long relief road is built.

“The one concern is we want this new road to be a relief road and not a bypass, we don’t want the town centre to become a desert. I think this option is sensible it is not an urgent decision,” he said.

Deputy leader Cllr Peter Wilkinson said he was surprised that businesses in Bedale did not share their concern about the affect on the town the new relief road could have. During a recent consultation 238 people responded with half of them not convinced that the new gateway car park was needed.

He said: “Hambleton District Council is committed to the long term economic viability of Bedale, which is potentially under threat from the relief road. In recognition of that we are putting extra funding into the capital programme to facilitate the possible future construction of a new car park should it be needed.

“We feel that by creating a facility close to the new road we would encourage people to visit the town, its shops and attractions, and we could also make spaces available for motorhomes, caravans and coaches, thus boosting the economy of the town.,” he added.

But Cllr John Prest said they should bite the bullet now and sell off the town centre auction site car park which was underused to fund the gateway car park which would serve the town better.

He added that the new approach would cost £200,000 more and it was unfair the whole district should pay for it.

“They can’t have their cake and eat it in Bedale, were going to have to pay 50 per cent more towards the new car park because the businesses of the town could not get their act together and make a decision. We have got the asset to sell, we should sell the auction site car park.”

Councillors agreed to defer the decision but earmark £612,000 to pay the cost of the new car park.