CHANGES are likely to be made to the booking procedure for Skipton's Town Hall after complaints that it was being monopolised by block bookings.

The council has admitted that it has not followed its own rules for booking the hall.

The Craven Herald can reveal that in the first six months of this year agents acting on behalf of the NSPCC have booked the town hall on a charity rate for 71 of the 72 midweek markets. On Saturdays the hall has been booked by the NSPCC on nine of the 26 days.

At a meeting of Craven District Council's scrutiny committee this week, members expressed concerns that although booked at a "non commercial rate", the fundraiser was a quasi-commercial operation.

Coun Peter Walbank said: "The NSPCC has taken over so much of the area. It is nearly a professional operation and I don't agree with it."

The NSPCC confirmed that a contractor was employed to run the markets on its behalf on the basis that the charity received all the money after expenses.

A report produced by Ian Day, the interim head of operational services at Craven District Council, suggested that a clause should be added to the rules stating that "no more than 12 block bookings will be allowed within any calendar month".

Users of the town hall will be able to put forward their views on the proposed changes in writing to the council or to members of the overview sub group between 7pm and 8pm at an informal meeting on May 6.

The results of this consultation along with the proposals from the sub group will be put before the community services committee on May 19.