A scheme urging Skipton Town Council to reclaim the town hall and run it as a community hall for the benefit of Skipton residents has been put to members.

County councillor Mike Doyle suggested that instead of allowing the hall to deteriorate any further, the Town Council should stake a claim, buy back the hall and run it themselves.

Coun Doyle said: "It should be self evident that councillors from North, South and mid-Craven, who have their own town and village halls, will not look sympathetically on developing Skipton Town Hall. The fact that very recently the lettings were covering little more than a quarter of the running costs of the building and the pressing need for major repairs, let alone enhancement, is evidence enough of a lack of real involvement."

He described the town hall as little more than an under-cover market which was not serving Skipton residents as it should be.

"I think it would benefit Skipton if the town owned the town hall," he said.

Councillor Marcia Turner said a District Council survey revealed the town hall would need many thousands of pounds spending on it. The District Council would probably be quite willing to give the hall to them for a small amount when there was all that work to be done.

Councillor Paul Greaves added: "It is something I have always thought would be quite useful to the Town Council, to have possession of the town hall. I think it is something we could pursue."

The Town Council lost control of the building in 1974 during local government reorganisation.

"I think Craven District Council thought they were on to a good thing when they took control. It was passed on at the time and the results are as we see them now," said Coun Dennis Hall.

He added that Skipton residents did not have the advantage of a community hall like Settle and Grassington.

He said he would support the investigation into whether the town hall could be bought and run with any grants available to it.

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