Selby Town Council has threatened to drop negotiations to take over the town’s market after it said conditions imposed by Selby District Council (SDC) made it unviable.

Town mayor Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said the town council believed it could run the town’s market better than the district council.

He said: “We were really keen to take over the market because we felt that the district council was not investing in it properly and wanted to run it down and close it. We thought we could do a better job.”

SDC drafted an offer agreement for the town council, which Coun Shaw-Wright said included a number of new conditions put on the town council, that had not been discussed in previous meetings.

Coun Shaw-Wright said the town council would be made responsible for all the rates on the marketplace, despite the market only being held there 52 days of the year. They would also be made responsible for any litter and damage to the market-place, even if it happened outside the operation of the market on Mondays, he said.

He said the agreement would also make the town council responsible for the electronic rising bollards, a couple of which are already broken.

Coun Shaw-Wright said: “It’s almost like they don’t want it to succeed. I feel they don’t want us to run it. There are so many things being put on the town council, it’s untenable. And we have lost patience. As far as we’re concerned we have decided we aren’t doing it unless they come back with some fantastic offer.”

A spokesperson for Selby District Council said: “A draft agreement for the transfer of the market has recently been sent to the town council. Negotiations are continuing and we are committed to working with the town council to resolve these issues.”