A BUSINESS which was once the largest employer in Ingleton has announced it is closing after 36 years at the heart of the community.
Outdoor clothing and camping specialists Daleswear was set up in 1979 by Tom Lambert, who was born and bred in the North Yorkshire town.
But Mr Lambert said this week he has been left with no choice to announce redundancies for all of the 13 staff at the New Road company after a decision made by planners at Craven District Council earlier this year.
"I can battle through all the cheap Chinese imports, the economic crash and it's the council that brought me to my knees," said Mr Lambert.
The authority was being asked to approve a planning application to change the use to retail and a mail order distribution centre - to adapt to the changing world of the business industry.
And while it approved the decision, conditions included no sale of food and drink and a limit on the amount of space allowed to display products.
That proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back for Mr Lambert who said the shop, which has employed hundreds of local people over the years, will close its doors for the last time in three months time.
"I have managed to survive everything else but could not survive restrictions about what I can do in the building," he said.
"Retail has become extremely difficult because of all the big brands. They want to bypass shops and go straight to the user."
He added the restrictions made it 'impossible to put forward a realistic business plan' and the months it took to get planning saw him 'run out of time and money' to challenge them.
"I have battled on trying to find a solution by contacting potential investors but one by one they disappeared," he said. "I didn't want to go towards winter struggling so now we have a closing down sale and are making what we can."
A new online only company, called Dales Distribution, has been set up by Mr Lambert. It employs some staff who had left earlier this year from an office on Kendal's Mintsfeet Industrial Estate.
