A LONG-AWAITED skate park in North Yorkshire has come one step closer, but plans for new school car parking spaces have been attacked.

Councillors in Easingwold finally agreed a potential site for the skate park agreed with the town's teenagers last year, but criticised plans by Easingwold School to build 60 new parking spaces.

The proposed skateboard site is close to a site recommended by the police in Millfields, a park close to the health centre. Councillor Geoff Ellis said: "We didn't agree with the site suggested by the community constable, it was just too prone to flooding and really would not have been suitable, but we think this new position will work well."

The new site is just 30 yards away on slightly higher ground.

Councillors agreed to submit an outline planning application for the area in order to move the process forwards.

Coun Nigel Knapton said: "We have been discussing this for more than a year now, it is time to get the plans into action if we can.

"We agree the project last year, now at last we do seem to have come up with a suitable location."

Councillors agreed the project needed to be continued to be supported for the sake of the young people in the town, but the same did not go for plans to create new car parking spaces at the secondary school.

Coun Ellis said: "The environmental issues for the entrance to the town of Easingwold must be considered, this would make a big difference to both the school and the town, and we have to decide what is best for the whole area."

But Easingwold School's chairman of governors, Coun Brian Taylor, supported the plans.

He said: "The school is having massive problems with congestion, and is also suffering from a real lack of funds. The plans include road widening which will ease the congestion, so should improve the situation.

"It is also important to note that this is to deal with the expansion the school has undergone over the past few years and is really needed."

The school decision will be made by North Yorkshire County Council, but Easingwold councillors requested a site visit to the school by councillors to view the implications of the proposals.

Updated: 09:57 Thursday, April 17, 2003