Skipton'S Jehovah's Witnesses could be worshipping in a new Kingdom Hall.

Their existing Kingdom Hall in Carleton Street in Skipton would be bought by a registered social landlord and turned into four town centre affordable homes if a decision is upheld by the full council.

Instead the Jehovah's Witnesses would move to a vacant plot off Shortbank Road, previously earmarked for housing.

Members of Craven District Council's performance and resources committee approved a recommendation that council-owned land at Littlebrook, off Shortbank Road, should be sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses to provide them with an alternative to their town centre site.

The proposal was suggested by council officers and was put forward by Coun Ken Hart and seconded by Coun Marcia Turner. A counter proposal, that the site should be sold off to a registered social landlord to provide affordable homes proposed by Coun Robert Heseltine and seconded by Coun Mark Wheeler failed to receive the backing of the committee.

There was a lively debate surrounding whether the council was setting a precedent in offering land to the Jehovah's Witnesses rather than offering it on the open market.

Coun Hart said he felt the proposal should be supported because the Jehovah's Witnesses had been directed to Littlebrook as an alternative site by council officers previously.

"I'm just glad that in this day and age we have a church here that is actually working. We've now given them a chance," he said.

"They have to come back to us within six weeks with details of the registered social landlord that wants to take over their old premises and the proposal still has to go before full council," he added.

Committee chairman Carl Lis said: "The decision went through with a majority vote, and that is how democracy should work. The proposal still needs to go to a meeting of the full council on September 20, where there will probably be another healthy debate," he added.

"I just wanted this to move forward with a proposal accepted as it has come back to committee three times already."

Coun Wheeler told the Herald he wasn't happy at the proposal going forward because he felt it wasn't the council's job to find alternative premises for religious organisations

"I am shocked at the result of this. It was a strange vote because some members had to leave the chamber because they are on the Craven Housing Board in case of a conflict of interest.

"It still has to go to a full council meeting for ratification," he added.

Members of the Skipton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses addressed a previous meeting of the committee asking if they could purchase the land at Littlebrook as they had been trying to find an alternative site for nearly seven years.

Jonathan Harrison, trustee chairman of the Skipton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, said they were delighted with the decision.

"We are pleased at the support we have received from the council and its officers," he said. "It would be nice to hope that we have now found a new home after six years of searching."

David Hammond, trustee secretary, said in a letter to the council: "We do appreciate that your first consideration for this site was affordable housing, but in our opinion the council has a unique opportunity to satisfy this need by helping to provide four residential units in a rare town centre location.

"Although this does mean, in effect, sacrificing two units in an out of town setting, the community gain by the provision of our meeting hall would seem to more than outweigh this loss."

If the committee's decision is ratified at the full meeting of Craven District Council next Tuesday, then a six week time limit for a draft agreement between the two parties has been agreed.

A time limit of six months for the deal to go ahead is also on the table.

If the sell-off has not taken place in that time, the land at Littlebrook will revert back to the original proposal to dispose to a registered social landlord for affordable homes.