A RADICAL blueprint for a huge "super-council" to run local government in North Yorkshire was unveiled in York today.

After a six-month review, the Boundary Committee today published its draft recommendations for local government reorganisation.

A shake-up of the council system in North Yorkshire is compulsory if county residents vote for a regional assembly in the autumn 2004 referendum.

Only one tier of local government can survive a 'yes' vote in the referendum, with two options for local government change to go on the ballot paper.

One is the unitary authority for the whole of North Yorkshire, or super-council, an option favoured by North Yorkshire County Council.

That council would potentially serve more than half-a-million people and stretch almost from coast to coast.

A county-wide unitary authority, however, would see North Yorkshire's district councils abolished.

Leaders of those authorities have instead called for a number of smaller unitary authorities to be set up.

They are likely to favour option two, which would see unitary authorities created by merging councils in Ryedale and Scarborough, Craven and Harrogate and Hambleton and Richmond.

Selby would join the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, already a unitary authority.

Option three is likely to be favoured by Yorkshire traditionalists, as it could see the return of the old North Riding of Yorkshire council name.

It proposes creating a new-look North Riding unitary by merging Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale and Scarborough.

The other unitary option it proposes would be a merging of Craven and Harrogate councils.

Selby would also join the East Riding under that option.

The fourth choice would see a Yorkshire Dales unitary created by merging Craven, Harrogate and Richmondshire.

Hambleton, Ryedale and Scarborough would join to form the North York Moors unitary authority, with Selby again joining the East Riding.

The proposals have been "cautiously welcomed" by City of York Council leaders.

Updated: 10:37 Monday, December 01, 2003