PLANS to remove historic stones from a street in Selby have been shelved by the council.

North Yorkshire County Council planned to replace the tegula block paving in Finkle Street with a coloured asphalt, but this week announced the plans would not go ahead, following public opposition to the scheme.

Councillor Steve Shaw-Wright was among the opponents of the plans who wrote to North Yorkshire County Council, and said he believed that if the plans were for any other town in North Yorkshire, for example Northallerton or Whitby, they would not be considered.

In a letter, Coun Shaw-Wright said: "This is a conservation area and anything other than something similar to the existing block paving is not acceptable. We doubt you would propose this surface for The Shambles in York. Whilst we understand that time and budget are important, it is also just as important that this road preserves its character and this cannot be achieved with coloured asphalt.

"The main reason that we are opposed to this plan is because it is not in keeping with the character of the street. You refer to the existing 'failed' tegula paved carriageway but there are only a few failed areas where the road has subsided – without damage to the actual tegula blocks which could be relaid."

In a reply to Coun Shaw-Wright, the Highways and Transportation department responsible said: "I will now be requesting that our designers, Jacobs, prepare a design and estimate for the option to relay the existing tegula block paving in the carriageway after providing a substantial foundation."

Coun Shaw-Wright said the decision was "a small victory for common sense".