PLANS for a controversial one-stop shop in Selby will be scrapped if Labour gain power in the forthcoming district elections, councillors have pledged.

In November, planning chiefs gave the go ahead for the town centre shop, where residents could access services.

Conservative councillors plan to use half of the Market Cross unit currently occupied by Argos.

The national retailer is set to move into a new purpose-built superstore at The Three Lakes Retail Park, in Bawtry Road, in the summer.

But plans for the one-stop shop have sparked fury among retailers in the centre, who say the development is inappropriate for a shopping centre and would decrease customer footfall.

Baz Millar, who owns Essences Café, said: "This council centre is not a shop, it's an office development. They already have offices two minutes away at the Civic Centre.

"Why are they spending thousands of pounds of ratepayers' money to move a few yards?"

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright, deputy leader of the district's Labour group, said: "The money involved is more than half-a-million pounds.

"Spending that on a one-stop shop that's less than five minutes' walk away from the Civic Centre is ridiculous. We believe the money can be better spent on the centre."

He said the scheme was not a "sensible move" while North Yorkshire County Council's bid to become a unitary authority cast a shadow over the future of the district council.

Coun Shaw-Wright also raised concerns over parking.

Referring to any deal the council may sign with developers when it moves out of the Civic Centre, he said: "Rather than doing sweetheart deals, we'd put the centre on the open market, because we believe you should get the best for the people of Selby district."

But Coun Mark Crane, leader of the district's Conservative group, accused Labour of a U-turn over the issue and said the development was part of a strategic plan.

"Labour have supported the one-stop shop up until now and I'm surprised they've withdrawn their support," he said.

"It's part of a bigger plan. We're hoping to move to new offices at the Doncaster Road hospital site, which would leave us without a presence in the town centre.

"The plan is to have a centre run with the county council, where people can go for all their services, whereas at the moment people sometimes have to go to more than one place."

Coun Crane said town centre parking was sufficient for the one-stop shop and that he was in discussions with Dransfield Properties, the owner of Market Cross, about increasing disabled provision.