COUNCILLORS have voted to scrap two-tier council arrangements in North Yorkshire and have entered a bid to Government to create a new single authority.

Members of North Yorkshire County Council met in Northallerton to vote on proposals to create a new local authority in the county, scrapping two-tier council arrangements and disbanding the county's seven district councils.

Under the current system, the county council is responsible for areas such as education, highways and waste disposal, while district councils deal with ones like housing, waste collection and licensing.

The Government has published a White Paper encouraging two-tier authorities to merge into one unitary authority, providing all council services - such as the one already existing in York.

Coun John Weighell, leader of the county council, said that if the bid was approved, the new authority would make a real difference to people in North Yorkshire.

"The challenges of the future mean that we cannot stand still," he said.

"It is therefore important that we seize this golden opportunity that now arises to harness all of the skills and resources across local Government.

"It would allow us to do an even more effective job, providing an even stronger voice for the people of North Yorkshire, and to shape our services around the local communities that we serve."

Earlier this month, Selby District Council members voted against such a move, instead opting for an enhanced two-tier arrangement.

The plans would involve more "back office" work, such as human resources and finance, being pooled with other local authorities to cut down costs.

The seven district councils in the county - Selby, Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale and Scarborough - agreed last year to work more closely together.

Coun Arthur Barker, the leader of Hambleton District Council and spokesman for the district authorities, said: "We do not believe this is the best way forward.

"It will create remote government not local government.

"At more than 3,000 square miles large and with more than 580,000 residents, North Yorkshire is simply too big to be managed by one authority - it would not be able to reflect communities and their individual needs.

Coun Chris Metcalfe, a county councillor and deputy leader of Selby District Council, said a single authority would mean lower council taxes.

"The new North Yorkshire council would have the resources to return a substantial sum to council taxpayers," he said.