A NEW long-stay pay and display car park could be created in Selby in a move that council bosses say will benefit the town.

Selby District Council has applied for permission to convert the car park of the old Civic Centre in Portholme Road into a new 110-space car park, near two supermarket car parks and other council-run pay and display sites at Market Cross and Portholme Road.

The report suggests the 110 spaces would include three disabled spots, and would cost £1.20 for up to three hours, £3 for more than three hours, or £8.80 per day for traders, and would be free on Sundays.

A report submitted with the plans said: “Adequate car parking is important to ensure the continued vitality and viability of the town centre.”

It said the new car park would offset the loss of 20 car parking spaces at the Portholme Crescent public car park, which will be lost through redevelopment, and would help to reduce the pressure for on-street car parking near the town centre.

But David Fieldsend, of the Selby Chamber, said the plan was unnecessary. He said: “To be honest, we don’t really need one.

“The existing pay and display ones are never that full.

“It’s also a long way out of town, so I don’t see any major benefit to it. It’s just the council trying to raise some capital due to the fact the sale of the land fell through.”

Richard Schofield, owner of Heaven And Home in Gowthorpe, said more free parking would be good for Selby, and could encourage investment, but extending pay and display sites would do little for the town.

He said: “People who work in the town park anywhere and everywhere to avoid paying for a full-price ticket so unless it will be really cheap, I can’t see the point. If you work six days a week, like me, 50 weeks per year, that will cost £2,640 on top of rates.”

A decision on the plan is due in August.