FOOTPATHS and village car parks could be considered as part of traffic improvements in South Craven.

Paths in farmers' fields beside busy roads and car parks to relieve on-street parking in Cononley and Sutton have been put forward during the first stage of a traffic consultation.

The first meeting of the consultation, which will eventually involve everyone in Glusburn, Cross Hills, Sutton and Kildwick, took place on Wednesday, at the Glusburn Institute.

North Yorkshire County Council, which re-scheduled the meeting from last month, invited 60 stakeholders - of which only a handful turned up - to discuss ways of spending £300,000 over two years.

Now proposals will be drawn up and sent out to a random sample of around 10 per cent of people in the area. This will be followed by a full public consultation, involving everyone in the area.

But Coun Roger Nicholson, chairman of Glusburn Parish Council, said any improvements could only be cosmetic, because of the amount of money available.

He said it was made clear that major schemes, such as bridges and bypasses, could not be considered. The money could also not be used to replace axed Keighley and District bus services between Keighley and Skipton, which had left Cononley and Kildwick without buses for large chunks of the day.

Coun Nicholson said he would like to see a footpath linking Sutton and Eastburn and footpaths beside roads in Cross Hills.

But it would be up to local authorities to negotiate buying the land from farmers.

He added that a lot of villages had no dedicated parking, which meant people had to park on roads, causing congestion and problems for other road users and buses.

"In Sutton there are no car parks at all and all the parking is on the road. In Cononley one of the reasons the bus service was lost was because the buses couldn't get through. It is hoped that some of this money could be used to fund car parks," said Coun Nicholson.

Other ideas put forward were traffic lights at difficult junctions, such as Holme Lane, Sutton crossroads, and improved siting for bus stops.

Cononley parish councillor Marten Lougee added: "The main problem is money. We can't say we want a bypass or a bridge because they would cost millions. There will have to be very small schemes because there just isn't the money."

North Yorkshire County Council said the meeting had been positive.

A spokesman said: "Wednesday's meeting was very productive and we're currently compiling a list of the key issues raised, including congestion, road safety and accessibility.

"Towards the end of July, we will mail a random sample of roughly 10 per cent of addresses in the Glusburn and Cross Hills area and we want residents to tell us whether they think we've got our priorities right.

"This is a real opportunity for local people to have their say and influence any future proposals.

"After this, our engineers will then look at the suggestions people have made and come up with with a raft of proposals.

"Our stakeholders will look at the proposals and give feedback before a full public consultation is launched, involving every address in the Cross Hills and Glusburn area."