TWO hour parking on Skipton High Street setts is to be scrapped.

Craven Area Committee agreed to the introduction of hourly parking from Monday to Saturday, including market days.

Drivers will be able to park their cars on the setts unless the spaces are taken up by market traders.

Parking would be "temporarily suspended" using signage and cones on market days, members were told.

Details of the arrangement had been agreed with Harrogate Borough Council Parking Services which was responsible for carrying out the enforcement of parking restrictions.

Earlier this year, traffic enforcement officers from Harrogate were accusing of swooping on motorists who were using the setts when market traders failed to set up, especially on poor weather days.

The county council has consulted with market traders and businesses and there have been six objections, claiming scrapping two hours would hit the public and commerce.

One hour would also not be enough time for shopping, having lunch or attending midweek church services.

But members of the county council's Craven Area Committee were in favour of the one-hour alternative and they were informed that Skipton Town Council backed the shorter stay.

Councillor Robert Heseltine, who earlier this year accused traffic wardens of "pouncing like piranhas" on motorists, said: "I support the reduction to one hour because it will give more people opportunity to park, to visit the bank and the shops without having to pay in the town hall car park. It will strengthen the town's commercial viability."

Councillor Andrew Solloway said he was in favour but stressed the need for a review to see it the system was working properly.

Councillors were concerned how the restrictions would be enforced, given there would not be a disc system.

But Councillor Alan Sutcliffe pointed out that parking restriction in Newmarket Street seemed to work so there was no reason it should not be effective in High Street .

Owner of Craven Stationery in Coach Street, Richard Mashiter, said he was "completely in favour" of parking on the setts and would prefer the time limit to be one hour as this would increase the rotation of traffic.

"We need parking for people who are coming int o town to visit specific shops or doing errands like going to the bank," he said. "Other towns have it and so should Skipton."

The committee was also told that a new loading bay would be set up in High Street stretching from the Edinburgh Woollen Mill building up to the puffin crossing zig zag markings. It was to assist businesses with deliveries and maintain the flow of traffic on the High Street. The recommendation will now go to North Yorkshire County Council's corporate director for business and environmental services David Bowe for a decision in October.