CRAVEN District Council's plans for large scale development of Skipton town centre are struggling to win the support of even the body set up to lead the renaissance project.

At a meeting of the Skipton Renaissance Team, a body whose constitution calls on it to "lead a co-ordinated approach" to the renaissance "vision", representatives from Skipton's Chamber of Trade, Town Council and Civic Society all criticised the plans.

There was even more scathing criticism from members of the public.

Only Craven College's principal Alan Blackwell and Jane Gazzard, from the voluntary sector, offered placatory words.

Chairman of the team Coun Mike Doyle stressed the ideas put forward so far and the consultation exercise itself were not the work of the Renaissance Team, but Craven District Council and its consultants, GVA Grimley.

He asked for comments from members of the Renaissance Team, made up of key stakeholders in the town.

Sebastian Fattorini, of Skipton Castle, said there had been no answers to the town's twin problems of car parking and traffic.

Skipton Town Council had not yet discussed the plans, but representatives Betty Campbell and Andrew Rankine were critical of putting a supermarket on the town hall car park.

John Moody, of the Civic Society, said that not a single member of the society was in favour of the concept as a whole, although some parts found support.

Tony Barrett, of the Chamber of Trade, said that residents' only parking schemes would soon drive 600 private commuters' cars off residential streets and he did not feel the council's ideas would solve the problem of where they would go.

Mr Barrett referred to the council wanting a "trophy retailer" behind the town hall - widely believed to be either Booth's supermarkets or Marks and Spencer - but said that the chamber believed this was the wrong site.

He suggested that a far better place would be Dewhurst's Mill, which has been sold to development company Novo Homes.

The chamber also did not accept that the council needed new offices in the town centre.

But there was a more neutral stance from Mr Blackwell, principal of Craven College, who said that the plans were a starting point but not the panacea to all Skipton's problems.

"When you start something, someone has to put something up for discussion," said Mr Blackwell. "The council has started a dialogue and it is only through debate that you can get a consensus."

And Jane Gazzard, of Craven Voluntary Action, said Grimley's had done what everyone had asked them to do: come up with a scheme for more housing, more shops, more car parking. She personally did not like the idea of a supermarket behind the town hall, but warned that the town would not be able to select only the bits of development it liked.

Craven District Council was represented by a councillor, Robert Heseltine, and a senior officer, Jonathan Kerr.

Coun Heseltine said he was in "listening mode". However, he said that the council was the only body which could provide any increased development and could only do so by selling off some of its assets.

Mr Kerr said public feedback from the recent exhibition was being collated, but there were trends and it was fair to say that the "joint service centre" on Coach Street car park was not popular. However, there was only a very small number against a town hall supermarket.

"These are not specifics and I would stress that the overall aim is to enable Skipton to thrive into the 21st century with more jobs, more shops, more houses that young people can afford."

Around 20 members of the public were in attendance. They were wholly against the schemes put forward.