THE owners of a cafe in Engine Shed Lane, Skipton, say proposed double yellow lines in front of their business will put its future at risk - and they have launched a petition.

Partners, Kate Armstrong and Stuart Ball have operated The Turntable Cafe since 2017. They employ two people and say they have worked very hard to make the business a success. They say they struggled on through the Covid-19 pandemic, and coped with ongoing work in Engine Shed Lane, but fear parking restrictions in front of the cafe will now devastate the business as 95 per cent of their trade is takeaway.

Kate says they have asked Craven District Council, which is carrying out improvements in the area, including the new waste depot, whether a single yellow line could be used instead, so people have a waiting time, but that has been rejected; and proposed parking bays will be no good to them as they will be available to all other businesses.

She said: "Currently our customers are able to stop at the side of the road outside the café, collect their food and drive away which usually takes all of ten minutes. Our business relies on being able to provide this facility. If our customers cannot park to collect their food we will simply not have any custom, meaning our business cannot go on.

"Having survived so many challenges along the way, this is heart breaking. This small local business supports both myself and Stuart keeping a roof over our heads and our 11 month old son, plus two other part time employees."

Kate and Stuart believe efforts to improve the industrial estate have actually left them off in a worse position than before, and that the needs of existing businesses have been ignored.

"We have suggested having a single yellow line outside the front of the café allowing people to stop for ten minutes to stop and collect their food within restricted hours. The council have rejected this request on road safety concerns, however Engine Shed Lane has operated with no parking restrictions for many years with no road safety incidents."

In response, a council spokesperson said: “We have consulted with all the businesses on the estate, all but the café and one other business are supportive of the proposal. We have worked with the café to try and come up with a solution that will work for everyone and ensure highway safety. Prior to the work, businesses, including the café, complained about the number of vehicles being parked/abandoned causing obstructions and causing hazards. The unfortunate position is that the café is located on the corner/junction with Ings Lane and does not have off-street parking.”