SUPPORTERS of a regional assembly for Yorkshire might vote against it if York's city boundaries are put at risk, council leader Steve Galloway has warned.

If Yorkshire and Humber residents vote for a regional assembly then the region's local government system will have to change.

Each individual council would manage a full range of local authority services, including areas like highways, education and social services, as already happens in York.

This "unitary" approach would mean big changes in North Yorkshire, where there are currently two council "tiers", with one county authority and seven district ones.

Residents in North Yorkshire will be asked to vote for what future council system they want, at the same time they vote "Yes" or "No" in the regional assembly referendum.

People living in unitary authority areas, like York, will not get to vote on the future council set-up, though they will be asked to vote in the assembly referendum.

This means that if the option of merging Selby and York to form a new unitary authority was placed on the ballot paper, York residents would not get the chance to vote on it.

A City of York Council-commissioned survey showed that more than 37 per cent of city residents questioned said they opposed any York and Selby merger.

More than half disagreed with the idea that the Selby area fitted "naturally" with York.

Coun Galloway said: "It is extremely regrettable that the Government refuses York residents a say in the type of boundaries that would exist if the boundaries were to change.

"It means people that support a regional assembly might vote against it."

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said only people living in two-tier council areas, such as Ryedale, would get a vote on boundary change.

"The structure of a unitary area would remain the same, it would remain a unitary authority," the spokeswoman said.

Executive members approved a response to the Boundary Committee, which is currently considering the issues, making a strong case for York's boundaries staying the same.

The deadline for responses, from groups and individuals, is Monday.

North Yorkshire County Council's leader, John Weighell, and its chief executive, Jeremy Walker, will tomorrow make the case for a massive, North Yorkshire-wide council, if the region's local government system is changed.

Updated: 08:31 Thursday, February 19, 2004