TEMPORARY plans to allow market traders to park their vans behind their stalls where space allows are in place while talks are ongoing with Highways.

At a Skipton Town Council market committee meeting on February 9, chairman Cllr Peter Madeley said there were several issues. One was trader vans parking in Sackville Street where there were residential properties and also a care home currently being built. The other was the traders themselves who, those who could, would prefer to keep their vans on their pitch for both ease of replenishing the stall and protection during inclement weather.

The vans would have to be behind the double yellow lines so some traders may have to reduce the size of their pitch to accommodate their van.

Cllr Madeley said the council was looking at the temporary proposal for trader parking but needed to meet with Highways to check it was legal.

Councillor Claire Nash raised the issue of the 4ft clearance of highway on the set and the bylaw preventing vans being parked there. Councillor Madeley confirmed that this was a temporary measure while more information was sought regarding this law.

Cllr Madeley said some stalls did not have the space, such as those on the narrow part near Holy Trinity Church.

One trader who was delighted with the move was Traditional Yorkshire Biscuits trader Billy Collins who said there were many positive facets.

He said: "As vans would be behind the yellow lines there would be no need for vans to be on the highway for loading and unloading purposes. They would not be taking up valuable parking spaces or parked on nearby streets."

He added that security was an issue too. "Vans are at risk of vandalism or theft. This was highlighted by the jewellery trader who has been allowed to keep his vehicle on his pitch permanently. His reason for this is that he leaves stock in his van. We also leave stock in our vans. A thousand pounds worth of jewellery is worth the same as thousand pounds worth of biscuits," he said.

Mr Collins also mentioned a green issue stating that an average of 50 traders moving their vehicles half a mile away to park and return to pack up would save up to 7,800 miles per year of unnecessary air pollution.

Members of the committee moved the proposal. An update would be brought to the next meeting in May.