Businesspeople are calling for a major project to renew gas mains in Skipton to be delayed until next year because the work will clash with the Flock to Skipton promotion.

Northern Gas Networks wants to replace about 1.4km of metal gas mains with plastic pipe in a £190,000 three-phase investment project.

Pipes will be replaced on Newmarket Street, Brougham Street, Court Lane, Long Meadow, Otley Road, Otley Street, Shortbank Road and Sunmoor Drive. Work is already under way and the final phase – expected to start in September – will involve closing Otley Street to traffic between Bunkers Hill and High Street for seven weeks.

Rufus Drake, who runs Ellesmere Press in Otley Street, criticised the decision to close the busy shopping street in the middle of the Flock to Skipton promotion.

“It will be damaging to the town,” he said. “The biggest problem is having roadworks when we have spent ratepayers’ money on the promotion. It will be a total waste of their money.

“Ideally I would prefer to see the work rescheduled for March next year to avoid a clash with the promotion and the run-up to Christmas.”

Last year, Skipton businesses voted in favour of allowing a one per cent levy to be put on their business rates to promote the town, which includes the Flock to Skipton event. Mr Drake said he now feared traders would vote against future levies if they did not see any return on their investment as a result of the gas works.

Skipton Chamber of Trade president Julian Hotchkiss backed Mr Drake, saying the work would be very damaging to town trade.

He said: “Traffic will be snarled up all the way around Skipton which will discourage visitors. It is not good timing, particularly when the economy is as bad as it is and so much work has already gone in to the Flock to Skipton scheme.”

Skipton Town Council chief officer Dave Parker said the council would be contacting Northern Gas Networks with a view to having the work delayed.

“We would prefer the roads not to be dug up when we are trying to attract people to Skipton,” he added.

Representatives of United Utilities and Enterprise, which will be carrying out the work on behalf of Northern Gas Networks, will be available to discuss the plans and answer questions at a public meeting in the Soroptomists Rooms in Otley Street next Wednesday from 6pm to 7.30pm.