THE Church of England has been accused of having a "dog in the manger" attitude to attempts to resolve Osmotherley's parking chaos.

The parish council has drawn a blank in its bid to acquire church land for a car park to ease the pressure on residents.

So councillors are going back to the drawing board to consider what to do next.

At this time of year in particular, Osmotherley is choked with visitors' cars. Many park up and walk the surrounding countryside. Others drive in for a look round and call at a pub or cafe.

North Yorkshire County Council is funding work aimed at easing the situation - lower pavements, no waiting areas etc. But the parish council feels the long-term solution is a car park and land to extend the local cemetery. A plot has been earmarked, but it is owned by the Church and all requests to buy have been rejected.

The council even enlisted the help of Richmond MP William Hague but to no avail.

Parish Council chairman Howard Higgs said: "The village is in chaos through parking problems. We want to make it easier for visitors to find long-stay parking.

"Just now, the village is full at 8am - mainly with the cars of people setting off on a day's walking. These people come back and go home without using any local facilities or services.

"This means that those who do want to come and patronise Osmotherley are unable to park."

The issue came to a head last year after questions were asked at the village's annual assembly. A traffic management group was formed to draw up a draft plan which won the backing of Hambleton and North Yorkshire councils.

This is the scheme the county is working on this summer. But the long-term problem has still not been addressed.

"I will do all I can to acquire the land for a car park," said Coun Higgs, who has set up a traffic committee to deal with parking issues.

The council thought the need for more burial space might be a lever to use with Church Commissioners for the land they want to buy.

It is glebe land, mainly used as farmland and run by Ellerbeck councillor David Harland.

The request was put on the agenda for a meeting of the Property, Trust and Investment Committee of the Diocese of York. Hambleton and North Yorkshire councils supported the village's bid. The county's chief executive Jeremy Walker said the scheme would "undoubtedly help ease congestion".

After the meeting, Linda Walmsley, finance and trust manager for the diocese, said it had been agreed to follow professional advice and not take the matter any further.

"This was the final insult," said Coun Higgs.

Subsequently, Ms Walmsley told Mr Hague it was the committee's duty to ensure the Trust, which generates income for stipend costs and such, is properly stewarded and its value maximised.

"The council's application was given fair consideration," she said, "but the committee was advised that sale or lease of glebe land for parking and/or burials would not be in the trust's best interests.

In response to a plea from Mr Hague, it has been agreed to make the parish's disappointment known at the next committee meeting next month.

"This has put a full stop on anything we may want to do," said Coun Higgs. "Until we have a car park we don't want residents-only parking."

A prominent member of the community has told the vicar, the Rev Alan Dodds that the diocese's attitude has angered villagers.

"As they see it the church is denying the village the chance to resolve two pressing problems and is not acting in a supportive way to a community which it relies on for some of its income," he said.

"Ill-will is building up about the church's 'dog in the manger' attitude. With the problems faced in St Peter's over dwindling attendance and fund-raising, such perceptions can hardly help."

Coun Higgs said: "Many people are raising money for the church and we don't seem to be getting any real support from the church establishment.

"But we are not going to let it stall as people have in the past.

"Ultimately, everyone wants residents' parking and this would solve a number of problems. All this is for the benefit of the village.

"People wanting to come to church often can't park - even the vicar!"