THE parish of Embsay with Eastby is having to rethink its millennium plans after villagers called time on a proposed clock.

They were furious that a planning application had been lodged with Craven District Council for a proposed clock tower on the village hall roof.

The plan was previewed in the Herald, and that, according to members of the hall management committee, was the first many had heard of it.

The cost was thought to have been around £8,000.

It is understood that suggestions for the millennium were mooted over a year ago and a subsequent vote was held at last year's annual parish meeting.

The consensus of opinion was that the clock was an ideal project, along with railings round the tree outside the Elm Tree Inn.

However, villagers are now saying that they were not consulted.

Acting secretary of the Village Hall Management Committee Keith Cottam told the Herald that the parish council chairman, Roy Cartwright, had approached the Village Hall Management Committee last October.

"He put the suggestion to us about a clock and we agreed in principle only to the idea," said Mr Cottam.

The next thing residents heard was that the clock plan had been passed to Craven District Council for approval.

Mr Cottam's wife, Joan, minutes secretary with the management committee, said villagers felt the plans had gone ahead without consultation with the rest of the community.

In March, the management committee held its annual general meeting and those present voted by 16 to two against the clock.

"I wrote to the parish council on behalf of the management committee asking for the project to be dropped. I received a postcard acknowledging our letter but didn't get a reply to it."

Mrs Cottam added that the bowls club had also written to the parish council saying a ballot had been held amongst its members.

"The project was voted against by 24 to two," she added. "Many residents have stopped me in the street and asked what is going on."

Delegates from the village hall committee met the parish council last week, and it was then decided to shelve the proposed clock tower.

Mr Cartwright said the reason the project was not made public was because the council needed to to wait until planning permission was given.

"There was nothing positive we could do until then."

The only remaining project in the village is to replace the railings round the elm tree.

"There are no other plans at the moment," said Mr Cartwright.

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