MILLENNIUM fund-raisers in Northallerton this week claimed they are being used as "a smokescreen" to cover plans to develop a park in the town.

They say efforts to create a marker for the new century - in the form of an enhanced park at the Applegarth - have been blocked at every turn.

And they have called for answers as to why a mystery bequest for a new bandstand on the site seems to have been withdrawn.

The claims come amid rising public disquiet about the future of the Applegarth.

Rumours have reached such a pitch that this week councillors felt it necessary to speak out.

As he took over as mayor on Monday, Coun Tony Hall stressed: "As far as I know there are no plans to develop the Applegarth."

But just minutes earlier, a proposal on the issue from town councillor Andy Wake was withdrawn at the last minute.

Coun Wake had tabled the following: "That Northallerton town council strongly opposes the takeover of any part of the Applegarth for new development and therefore refuses to sell the Applegarth and, if any proposals are made for such, that public consultation be sought immediately."

And in his own annual report, outgoing mayor Jack Dobson said he had been asked to comment on the issue.

"There is some disquiet about possible development," he said. "It is clear townsfolk wish to see a park on the site. The present 42 covenants from 1918 would allow a park but protect the Applegarth from any other form of development."

Hambleton council's planning and environmental services director Steve Quartermain said the district authority "had no ambitions or plans in the offing with regard to the Applegarth."

He said there had been a retailing study as part of a government requirement to assess if there are sites in the centre of urban areas to facilitate retailing.

"We need to examine any such sites before we can start releasing land on the edges of towns," he said. "And as part of that we will look at any land which has the potential for development.

"We have a study going on to look at retailing in Northallerton and that will revise aspects of the original report. From time to time we need to refresh the information we use to determine planning applications in the town.

"But there is no pressure to see any change in the current status of the Applegarth.

"The situation regarding the millennium committee cannot be laid at our door. After all, we have approved plans put to us by the committee for the Applegarth site."

The chairman of the millennium park committee Cynthia Peacock said it had been planned to create the park area, cycle track and sports pitch in a £300,000 scheme, with funding from various sources.

Pre-millennium feedback from residents showed the community wanted the Applegarth to be enhanced, with the inclusion of a new bandstand.

And the then mayor Steve Merritt said an anonymous benefactor had left a trust fund for the bandstand part of the project.

But Mrs Peacock said most of the committee's efforts to access grants had "hit a brick wall."

An initial offer of £10,000 from the trust fund was made so a start could be made on the bandstand, she said.

"But then we were told this was being withdrawn," she said. "No reason was given and we want to know what has happened to this money."

She said people were starting to question the committee's activities.

"We want the townspeople to know we have really tried to give them something," said Mrs Peacock. "We are all really upset by all this.

"The committee members wanted to see this through. People will think we have done nothing but that is not true. It is so unfair on people who have stuck with this project and worked hard."

The committee has achieved some success in upgrading the Applegarth, but nothing on the scale of what was planned.

Hugh Wrigley, the solicitor handling the bequest, has had a meeting with the committee in recent weeks.

This week he said everything had been explained to the members but declined to comment further.

* Mystery and muddle: page 5.

Endeavour

returns

CELEBRATIONS will be in order when the replica of Captain James Cook's ship, Endeavour, returns to Whitby next week.

HM Bark Endeavour will arrive on Thursday at about 8.30pm. Its arrival will herald two weeks of celebrations to mark its stay, starting with a fireworks display on the night.