A MAJOR consultation exercise is to be carried out this autumn into the traffic needs of Skipton and its environs.

The study will deal with all aspects of traffic in and around the market town, including parking, access for disabled people, public transport and safety issues.

When the consultation process begins after the summer, a questionnaire will be delivered to every household in Skipton, giving people the opportunity to comment on any traffic matter. All the responses will be analysed and the results used to develop the overall transport strategy.

Other issues likely to be raised during the consultation process are traffic-calming measures and commercial vehicle issues.

Coun Tim Cole, chairman of the area highways committee, said: "This is the start of a major consultation exercise for the county council. We want to work with everyone who has an interest in Skipton to get the best possible result for the town. Everyone who has a comment to make about the traffic situation in Skipton will be listened to because we want to develop a strategy which will work well for the town."

However, not everyone was pleased about the consultation exercise.

County Coun Mike Doyle said: "The Liberal Democrats did a survey about four years ago and as a result of work a traffic partnership was set up.

"Nothing has happened for 18 months and we are now getting another consultation. The county council has already deleted the traffic calming for Keighley Road from its programme and claims it has no money to do anything. We're questioning if this is another delaying exercise to carrying out any actions."

At a separate county council highways meeting recently, members discussed on-street parking. They came to the conclusion it would be difficult to alleviate the problem using a county-wide scheme and it should be looked at by the town's traffic partnerships.

Skipton traffic partnership is seen as the model for developing traffic control in all areas. Coun Michael Heseltine said: "It is vitally important that a partnership is developed involving local interest groups to determine what local problems need to be solved and then develop appropriate traffic management techniques."