SKIPTON market traders are to be asked how they would feel about going cashless for their paying of rents to the town council.

A meeting of the full council heard how it was good practice for local authorities to go 'cashless' and that one way of achieving this would be for market traders to pay their rents by Bacs, or other cashless ways.

Deputy Skipton mayor Peter Madeley told yesterday's (Thursday) meeting that he would like to see market traders move to cashless rent paying by the start of the financial year in April, but other councillors raised concerns about it being too soon, that some people still dealt in cash, and also for the need to consult with the market traders themselves.

Councillor Brian McDaid agreed it was a good idea, but there should be full consultation with the traders because the last thing the council wanted to do was put people off.

Mayor, Sheila Bentley, said she was certainly not in favour of it, if she was a market trader she would not like to be told how to pay her rent and said every trader should be asked for their views before it went ahead.

Members agreed to move to cashless rent paying by April 2024, subject to full consultation with market traders beforehand.