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THE twin towns of Malton and Norton could turn the clock back more than a century by creating one joint council.

The idea is being investigated after the existing town councils met to explore ways of working more closely together and sharing information.

Coun David Lloyd-Williams, mayor of Norton, a member of Malton council and Norton's representative on North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We had a good progressive meeting which brought the councils together for talks for the first time in 16 years. There seems to be support for further collaborative working."

He added: "There seems to be a logic that we are all one community and that it is not an us and them' situation."

He said the councils ran three cemeteries between them and he believed there was "ample scope" for them to take on other responsibilities, at present carried out by the district and county councils.

The two towns were split administratively after the creation of the East Riding and North Riding County Councils, when the River Derwent was used as the boundary with the result that Norton became part of the East Riding, and Malton part of the North Riding.

Over the last 50 years suggestions have been made that the towns, and their rural districts should form one council, but with the creation of Ryedale District Council in 1974, the former Norton Urban and Rural district councils, and Malton Urban and Rural district councils, became part of the big Ryedale council.

Coun Lloyd-Williams, said: "Prior to the creation of the two counties, the Derwent was just a crossing point. The Romans saw Malton as a strategic point for a fort and built the most northerly fort in England as a result, with cavalry and stabling,"

The town clerks of the two councils, Mike Skehan (Malton) and Ros Tierney (Norton) are to arrange another meeting in about two months and in the meantime will discuss their potential futures with Ryedale District Council and the Yorkshire Local Councils Association.

A single council could see some of the services currently carried out by Ryedale and the county council being transferred to it believes Coun Lloyd-Williams.

From such a move there could be efficiency savings, better services on such controversial issues as street and footpath cleaning as well as grass cutting, of which some is already done by the town authorities.

With each town having its own coat of arms, a new single one incorporating each would have to be designed said Coun Lloyd-Williams, and there would also be a likely reduction in the number of councillors, though the office of mayor of Malton and Norton would need resolving.

In addition, a new joint council would aim to achieve Quality Council status under the Government's local government policy.

Mr Skehan said the meeting had been productive. It was felt that joint working would be to the benefit of both on such issues as the industrial and business park developments in York Road Industrial Estate, Malton and the Eden Park Business and Enterprise Park at Old Malton, while Norton was in a line for large scale housing developments.

"Such developments have an impact on both towns so it makes good sense to share our discussions."

What do you think?

11:41am Thursday 20th March 2008

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