THE owners of the former LMS sports pitch in Skipton say they are shelving plans to build a car park and improved sporting facilities at the site after the application was rejected by North Yorkshire Council.

Dalesway Construction says it will not lay out more funds for the site, off Carleton New Road, after the plans, which have been ongoing for more than 10 years, were rejected in February, and have shelved the plans for the 'foreseeable future' after 'losing all enthusiasm' for the project.

The application was decided by officers using delegated powers, after it was not 'called in' to be decided by councillors on the Skipton and Ripon area planning committee.

The latest plans would have seen an improved grass pitch, on part of the former LMS field, which would have been gifted to Skipton Juniors, and would have become the club's first 'home'.

A two-storey, 400 space car park would have been built at the Engine Shed Lane end of the site, providing off-street parking for users of Skipton Railway Station and additional parking for Sandylands Sports Centre - the town's 'sports village', say the owners.

A spokesperson for Dalesway Construction said: "We've had enough of bending over backwards doing what we were being asked to do by the council for them to move the goal posts; so for the moment we have just lost the enthusiasm.

"We have considered a third re-submission of the plan, which did have wide-spread support by the community, Skipton Juniors, Skipton Hub, Sandylands and local councillors, but due to the total lack of support by council officers, Sport England and the football sporting bodies, we currently don’t have the appetite for it."

The scheme was refused permission by North Yorkshire Council on two grounds, that it would result in the 'unacceptable loss of playing field provision' and failed to meet the requirements of Sport England's exception policy. It also failed on flood risk grounds that 'in the absence of sufficient evidence that sites at a lower risk of flooding have been considered or that the proposal would not increase flood risk elsewhere.'

Dalesway is also disappointed that its plan could not fit in with the council's recently completed masterplan for the Sandylands sports centre site, and says its development could have created a footpath down Engine Shed Lane to the entrance to the sports centre.

In June last year, North Yorkshire Council invited sports players or anyone who had an interest in Sandylands Sports Centre to have their say about the site ahead of the putting together of a £40,000 masterplan for the future of the site.

The masterplan was originally agreed by the former Craven District Council in November, 2022, with councillors agreeing at the time to allocate £40,000 just for it to be put together.