A council is a step nearer its bid to spend £160,000 on transforming Skipton canal basin, pictured, to make it a magnet for tourists.

Craven district council agreed last night that its service development manager and steering group should have delegated authority to approve the final specifications.

The council has earmarked £100,000 towards the project and other funding is expected from British Waterways.

The canal facelift will be one of the biggest environmental improvement schemes in Skipton in a decade.

Work is due to start after Christmas on resurfacing about a mile of towpath, linking the town centre and the Leeds-Liverpool canal basin with Aireville Park, which has recently been upgraded.

The project will include installing new seating and landscaping areas for recreation and public art.

A consultation exercise with residents and tourists showed that one of the main concerns was with the lack of lighting along the towpath. Councillors have agreed that improved lighting should be a feature of the scheme.

David Blackburn of British Waterways, said many people had expressed interest in the plan from boat-trip companies to visitors from abroad.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.