A Skipton bowling club could lose its home to make way for parking spaces.

Craven Bowling Club – believed to be the second- oldest bowling club in Yorkshire – currently leases land at the town hall car park from Craven District Council.

But the council, which is negotiating the sale of 9 High Street and land behind the town hall for a mixed café and shop development, is trying to make up for the loss of 101 car parking places.

And it says the relocation of the bowling club, which pays just £500 a year to the council, will provide around 60 replacement places.

Jonathan Kerr, the council’s strategic manager for property and facilities management, confirmed discussions were ongoing with Craven Bowling Club about its potential relocation – possibly to Aireville Park.

“Craven Bowling Club leases a piece of council- owned land next to the town hall car park for a nominal rent of £500 per year,” he said.

He said the group was a small, private club with around 70 members.

“We are looking to maximise the amount of car parking in Skipton and in particular the town hall car park, the most popular car park in the town,” said Mr Kerr.

“We also have to take into account the planned development for 9 High Street and the back of Skipton Town Hall.

“If planning permission for the development is granted, 55 public car parking spaces and a further 46 staff car parking spaces that are used by the public at the weekend will be lost.”

District councillor Chris Harbron said he believed a better site for the bowling club would be a parcel of council-owned land off Airedale Avenue.

The piece of land, close to the proposed Elsey Croft housing development, would be close to two housing estates, he said.

And he believed if club members were agreeable to a move, then the site could mean greater access and flexibility.

Mr Kerr added that a number of options were being investigated for the town hall car park, including the relocation of ticket machines and the redesignating of coach parking bays.

“The land currently occupied by Craven Bowling Club is part of those investigations as, subject to planning permission being granted, it could easily be incorporated into the town hall car park and potentially yield another 60 parking spaces,” he said.

A report on Craven District Council’s car parking strategy is due to go before its Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday. The plan for 9 High Street is expected to go before the council’s planning committee on Monday December 13.