A NEW plan has been drawn up in a bid to end the Whalley car parking nightmare -- but there are already fears that it may not be suitable.

The village's car park steering group, made up of members of the parish council, chamber of trade and residents, has earmarked a portion of the QEII playing fields site, off Mitton Road, to accommodate 83 vehicles.

But the land, adjacent to the railway station, is a six-minute walk from the village centre and Ribble Valley Borough Council engineering manager Graham Jagger has already said he believes it is too far out to solve the parking problems.

The group is forging ahead without the support of the borough council, which suspended all work connected with the problem in November because of the lack of progress and failure to agree on suggested sites. The QEII site is owned by the parish council and leased by the QEII Playings Fields Charitable Trust. The plans are to convert a portion of the fields which lies unused and is boggy in winter. Plans are available for inspection in the library.

"It is a site in which trustees of the charity are in total agreement," said chairman of the QEII playing fields charity John Smith.

The village was thrown into turmoil when Whitbread Brewery, owners of the Whalley Arms pub, closed its car parking area to the public. A pay and display facility was introduced, as was a clamping scheme and drivers in the village were forced to park elsewhere.

The car park was previously leased to Ribble Valley Council, which is prepared to pay for the construction of a replacement if a suitable place could be found.

A stalemate was reached last year after Ribble Valley Council, funders of the project, suggested the bus station/Vale Gardens area as being the most suited to the village, with possible car parking spaces for up to 50 vehicles.

But this suggestion was rejected by the parish council and another suggestion, land off Accrington Road, fell through after the owner was unwilling to sell the plot.

Mr Smith is now waiting to hear from the Charity Commission regarding its view. Graham Jagger said the planning committee voted to sever its links with the steering group for the time being because of the amount of officer time that had already been used, only to reach stalemate after stalemate.

"It will be up to the officers when they decide to return to the project," said Mr Jagger. He has said the new site is too far from the centre and would be unlikely to solve the parking problems said to exist in the village itself.

"The Whalley car park steering group can submit a planning application if it wishes, but if it is not regarded suitable by the planning committee, it will be refused," he added.

Steering group member Paul Winkley, said he was led to believe the council was only taking a back seat on the matter while the steering group continued looking for an answer.

"We realise the council has spent a lot of time on the issue, but we hope, should public and business opinion be favourable for the Mitton Road site, that the borough council will be open for further negotiations." he said.