PLANS to refurbish Tadcaster's Central Area car park have been suspended after a High Court challenge by Samuel Smith Old Brewery.

After recently completing an extensive revamp of the nearby Britannia car park, Selby District Council planned to start work on the Central Area in the next few weeks.

The council has already awarded a contract, but has been forced to put the work on hold after brewery chiefs said they would be seeking a judicial review.

It is understood the brewery is challenging the process that the council used to give planning permission for the £500,000 refurbishment.

The legal challenge is the latest setback in a long-running dispute between the council and Sam Smiths.

The council had transferred the car park to Sam Smiths so the brewery could carry out an agreed development to regenerate part of Tadcaster.

When work did not proceed, the council exercised its option to buy back the car park. After the dispute could not be resolved, legal action was taken and the council won its case in May last year.

A council spokesman said it was eager to proceed with the long-awaited development of the car park and the contractor was ready to start work.

The brewery's legal challenge means the start date has had to be cancelled and further negotiations are now taking place with the contractor.

The revamp includes resurfacing, new lighting, landscaping and a CCTV camera.

Council leader Mark Crane said: "To say that the cancellation of the Central Area car park improvement scheme is a disappointment is something of an understatement. I will be working with my colleagues to ensure we find a satisfactory solution to this issue."

Tadcaster and district councillor Don Bain-Mackay said today: "These are long-term delaying tactics and the people of Tadcaster are fed up to the teeth."

Sam Smiths today declined to comment.

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, June 19, 2003