A DECISION on the future of Skipton market has been deferred until the co-operation of outside bodies such as North Yorkshire County Council has been sought.

On Wednesday Craven District Council's community services committee was asked to agree a recommendation to make no changes to the legal and ownership issues surrounding the setts but organise the market better.

The recommendation came from a council overview and scrutiny group, which has spent the past few months looking into the complex issue of the market and the setts and trying to find a solution.

It has returned with a list of preferred options for the future management and a list of proposals, some of which rely on the services of North Yorkshire County Council and Skipton Town Council.

In one of the proposals, the county council is "urged" to exercise its power under the Highways Act to require frontagers on the High Street to carry out repairs to any dangerous parts of the setts.

But chairman of the community services committee, Coun Paul English, said while he supported the recommendations it was pointless forging ahead with them if the other bodies involved would not co-operate.

He said: "In my opinion at this moment there's no flexibility of a plan B.

"If we urge North Yorkshire to exercise its powers but the council turns around and says it's not a priority for the county council then we're left in a vacuum."

Coun English said the district council should write to the county council's director of environment and transport and also the town council to inform them of the roles they would be asked to play in making sure the High Street and the market run smoother in the future.

"Hopefully the other authorities will embrace these recommendations, but until we have been given the go-ahead I feel we can't come to a proper recommendation at this time," he said.

But Coun Robert Heseltine, one of the councillors on the overview and scrutiny committee, said that decision would give the other authorities the "power of veto" and the district council would come to a standstill.

"Skipton deserves better. Craven District Council would be a laughing stock if we did not make progress," he said.

Coun Roger Nicholson said he did not agree with all the recommendations, but he wanted to see the council move forward.

"I think we have spent months and months on this one. We have reached a point where we should make a decision," he added.

Coun Andy Solloway said he would be happy if the one thing that came out of the investigation was repair work to the setts.

Councillors decided they would defer the matter to a full council meeting in two weeks and in the meantime contact would be made with the other authorities mentioned in the plans.

In looking at the future of the High Street, the running of the market and ownership of the setts the overview and scrutiny sought the views and expertise of local organisations, stallholders and many others.

In total it heard from 26 people - only four of whom were ordinary members of the public - at four meetings, with nine written representatives and responses from a questionnaire.

Coun Richard Welch said he thought it had been a poor consultation. "People's lives could change and alter yet four members of the public had the chance to have a say," he said.

However he was told that anyone who wanted to have a say had been invited to come along and share their views.