A SINGLE unitary council covering the whole of North Yorkshire would save millions of pounds of council taxpayers' money, according to figures produced by the county council.

The details come against a backdrop of a possible radical change in local government. There will be a referendum next year on an elected regional assembly and if that is endorsed our present set up of county and district councils will have to change.

North Yorkshire County Council says that fewer overheads would make a single council at least £10m cheaper than proposals being considered by the Boundary Committee. And it could be as much as £20m cheaper than some of the options.

Coun John Weighell, the county council leader, said: "We know that the cost of change will be a real concern for our residents when they're asked to weigh up the options.

"The Boundary Committee's own limited financial model shows that our single council option would be £3-£6m cheaper than any other solution. But the Audit Commission has said these figures don't properly reflect the full costs of all the options.

"Our work isn't complete yet, but early estimates suggest these figures understate the real difference by two to three times. On that basis, our solution could beat any other proposal by £10-£20m.

"In real terms, that could represent a substantial saving of between £50-£100 on the average Band D council tax.

"One council means less managers, administrators and, of course, politicians. We believe that value for money combined with our track record of already delivering 85pc of the services which people expect from local government has strong appeal."

Coun Robert Wainwright, chairman of Ryedale District Council's policy and resources committee, said: "At this stage, it is impossible to say where financial savings can be made in re-organisation.

"Consultation with Ryedale residents has already highlighted that they place more emphasis on the quality of service provided.

"Accessibility of services is another key issue to them. This is something that in my opinion one council serving the whole of North Yorkshire cannot possibly deliver."

Updated: 09:19 Monday, December 22, 2003