Christmas events could be combined and held on a Sunday after traders said they lost out when the main road in Bedale was closed to ensure Santa could arrive in safety.

Greengrocer James Potter said a rolling road closure could be held to make sure children were safe, but also allow customers to park.

He told Bedale Town Council the Christmas market had been difficult for many businesses in the town. “It was not a write off, but there are a lot of things that could be worked on," he said. "The road closure doesn’t work, I don’t think it is necessary, or there could be a rolling road closure."

Mayor Councillor Amanda Coates said: “It is not the lights switch on, it is Father Christmas coming, that is why the road is closed. We can question it, but I feel easier with children around that the road is closed.”

Mr Potter said in Thirsk the lights switch on had attracted thousands of people and the road had not been closed. He added: “It could be only having the road closure halfway and keeping the bottom half of the cobbles as a parking area. There was so much space outside my shop, there was a gaping hole making it harder for my customers who must have been thinking 'we won’t come in today' and they didn’t, I was really quite a lot down.”

Members were told a community forum event held a couple of weeks earlier had been a success because it was at one end of the market place and the road had not been closed. Other towns are not thought to have had road closures, including Hawes.

Councillor John Noone said: “I am not comfortable with this at all, for years and years we didn’t have a road closure, I don’t know where this has come from, I can’t believe Hambleton expects us to do it when other communities aren’t. It is one of the major problems we are going to have with this.”

Clerk Nick Reed said holding it on a Sunday could mean they would get more professional market traders who are often committed to other markets on Saturday.

Members were told councillors on the Christmas lights working group are meeting Bedale and Villages Community Forum representatives on January 26 to consider dates and the nature of the town’s 2023 Christmas celebrations, with the town council agreeing a preference would be for a Sunday at the beginning of December.