BUILDING of around 250 new homes and a business park in Skipton could start before the end of the year, according to the developers.

Henry Boot Developments, behind the planned Wyvern Park scheme, between Waltonwrays Cemetery and Sandylands Sports Centre, told town councillors a planning application for phase one should be lodged around Easter.

And, if everything went to plan, work would start on the site later in the year. A second phase could see the development of the rest of the site, but would be dependent on the successful completion of the Environment Agency's £13.8 million flood alleviation scheme.

Representatives from Henry Boot, who were at Skipton Town Council's Plans Committee on Thursday, ahead of a public exhibition at Herriots Hotel on Monday, said they had adapted the scheme following the rejection of the original plan by Craven District Council last summer.

Ben Ward, director, said it no longer included a Sainsbury's supermarket and would now include between 220 and 255 first time buyers and family homes.

Primarily, it would feature the 'much needed' business park generating around 800 new jobs - with the housing instead of the retail element to pay for it.

It would be the first phase of the development of the land involving 18 acres of housing and 12 acres of employment use, and they reserved an option on the remaining 15 acres of the site, which was dependent on the flood alleviation scheme.

He said a new 'green space' would separate the development from the cemetery - after the original scheme was criticised for its closeness to the cemetery.

He added an earlier offer to Craven District Council to allow expansion of the cemetery was no longer there as the council had said there was sufficient expansion room.

Mr Ward said they were not primarily residential developers, and for that aspect of phase one would submit an outline plan to establish the principle.

It would be a 'very dense' scheme angled towards first time buyers and families and would aim at 35 homes per hectare.

The business park side of the scheme would remain unchanged and the development would continue to be accessed by a new roundabout off the bypass and a mini-roundabout linking onto Carleton Road.

"The scheme is by no means fixed, but we are working towards Easter for a planning application and if we get consent, will be on site later in the year," he said.

To find out more about the application go to wyvernparkskipton.co.uk