THE biggest shake-up in local government for a generation is under way as 288 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to serve residents on North Yorkshire’s new unitary authority.

From next April, Ryedale District Council (RDC) will cease to exist with North Yorkshire Council (NYC) taking over the reins.

In the election on Thursday, May 5 residents will be able to vote for who they want to represent them among the 90 councillors who will be elected to 89 new divisions.

The councillors will serve the final year of North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC), then the first four years of the new single council for the county. They will shape what public services will look like ahead of the new NYC’s first day on April 1 next year, making decisions that affect everyone living and working in the county.

All seven of the county’s district and borough councils have published lists of the candidates who will contest representing communities on 90 seats in 89 divisions across England’s largest county for a five-year term.

Election documents reveal there will be 67 Labour, 48 Green, 46 Liberal Democrat and 46 Independent candidates. Other groups represented at the election include Reform UK, Whitby Area Independents, SDP, Liberal and the Yorkshire Party.

The election will see battles for eight seats in Ryedale.

As all the divisions have at least two candidates, it means each seat will be contested at the polls.

The Kirkbymoorside and the Dales division has the most candidates in a contest, with six people vying for the seat.

Amotherby & Ampleforth, along with the Norton division, has the smallest with just two candidates standing for each.

Engineering and investment specialist George Jabbour, who last year fought to become County Durham and Darlington’s police and crime commissioner, has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the Helmsley and Sinnington seat. He will face competition from Independent Val Arnold, Green Barbara Hickman, Independent Simon Thackray and Liberal Democrat Alexandra Young.

The candidates for the Ryedale district are as follows:

l Amotherby & Ampleforth – Jim Bailey (Cons), Steve Mason (Lib Dem)

l Helmsley & Sinnington – Val Arnold (Ind), Barbara Hickman (Green Party), George Jabbour (Cons), Simon Thackray (Ind), Mary Young (Lib Dem)

l Kirkbymoorside & Dales – Alasdair Clark (Liberal), Janet Frank (Ind), Richard McLane (Green Party), Tony Riby (Ind), Jill Wells (Labour), Greg White ( Cons)

l Pickering – Joy Andrews (Liberal), Alan Avery (Lab), Paul Littlewood (Cons), George Mueller-Waite (Yorkshire Party), Edward Whittle (Green Party)

l Sheriff Hutton & Derwent – Ian Conlan (Green Party), Claire Docwra (Cons), Caroline Goodrick (Ind)

l Norton – Keane Duncan (Cons), Di Keal (Lib Dem)

l Malton – Lindsay Burr (Ind), Samson Mwteke (Lab), Fabia Tate (Cons)

l Thornton Dale – Josie Downs (Green Party), Mick Johnson (Lab), Janet Sanderson (Cons), Clive Wass (Liberal)

Meanwhile, elections are also been held for town and parish councils including Malton, which has 14 candidates for 12 seats.

However, an uncontested election has been held for Norton Town Council – despite calls for younger people to join the authority.

Only 11 people put themselves forward for the voluntary role, meaning they are all automatically elected.

A further person will now be co-opted for the 12th council role.

Other uncontested elections have been called for Welburn, Pickering, Heslerton and Ebberston & Yedingham.

An uncontested election is an election in which the number of candidates is the same or less than the number of places available for election, so that all candidates are guaranteed to be elected.

Richard Flinton, county returning officer and chief executive of NYCC, said: “This election is particularly significant. The people elected in May by the voters of North Yorkshire will shape the vision and value of the new North Yorkshire Council from its beginning. That is why it is so important that if you will be eligible to vote you make sure that you are registered to do so.”

To vote on May 5, you must be on the electoral register by tomorrow (April 14). Go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote