NEW premises for a South Craven car dealer are causing problems even before a stone has been laid.

Skipton Properties has lodged plans to build a new base for Walter C Brigg's Vauxhall dealership on the Crossings Business Park near Kildwick.

The firm has already sold its North End premises at Cowling for houses and wants to move to a more prominent location. But the design of the new building has angered Keith Midgley, chairman of Kildwick Parish Meeting.

He says Craven planners promised a prestigious development at the corner site that would be screened by trees.

Mr Midgley, who likened the new Brigg's building to "an engine shed", said it was totally out of character. "It's 12 years since that industrial estate started and look what we've got," he said.

"The new building is going to be stone and corrugated iron and that's not what I would call a prestigious building."

Mr Midgley says a planning loophole means car dealers on the estate don't have to plant trees.

"The landscaping is triggered by industrial buildings and car dealers aren't classed as retail or industrial," he said. "But I don't see why Craven District Council can't impose conditions to make sure that trees are planted as a screen."

A planning brief to say what could and could not to built on the industrial estate was drawn up in December 1989 after objections from parish councils about the allocation of the land for industry.

"We were all told that this industrial estate was going to be held up as an example of how it should be done," said Mr Midgley.

The scheme is expected to come before Craven planners shortly.