ONE of Stockton's MPs has written to the Government to ask for the idea of a new all-Yorkshire council south of the Tees and independent of Stockton to be looked into.

James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, has also met with representatives from Yarm and Thornaby parish councils who have both held polls on the issue which showed most people in both towns wanted to leave Stockton.

Following the polls Stockton Borough Council decided not to invite the Local Government Boundary Commission to carry out a review because it would cost at least £100,000 just to carry out an assessment. Setting up a new council would cost much more than that.

But now Mr Wharton has written to the Boundary Commission after speaking to the Thornaby and Yarm council leaders.

The letter said: "The borough council has resisted calls to take these concerns into account and the Boundary Commission has, I understand, indicated an unwillingness to consider the issue without the consent of the local authority. To my knowledge, however, the Boundary Commission is not legally bound to require local authority consent before undertaking a review."

Chairman of Yarm Town Council, Cllr Jason Hadlow said: "The imbalance in the impact of decisions that has negatively impacted on Yarm but has somehow miraculously provided a positive benefit to Stockton Council income from our area clearly confirms how they see us: as their cash cow."

Leader of Stockton Council, Councillor Bob Cook, said it was more important to focus on combined efforts of councils across the Tees Valley to get a devolution deal, or greater powers, from the Government.

He said: “I would repeat that we want to work with, and not against, the town and parish councils in the south of the borough. That’s the best way of delivering schemes such as the £10 million leisure facility we have planned in Ingleby Barwick and the £19 million of improvements to the south of the borough’s highways network.

"Alongside this we are reviewing all boundary signage in recognition of the pride that people feel for their history and heritage.

“Our focus must be placed on maintaining high quality services rather than a distracting, unnecessary and expensive boundary review.

"It’s interesting that members of Ingleby Barwick Town Council appear to feel the same, such was the emphatic nature of their recent rejection of moves towards a parish poll.”

The Yarm poll was held last year and 89 per cent voted 'yes' to leave Stockton council on a 24 per cent turn out. The Thornaby referendum was held in March this year and 72 per cent voted to leave on a 32 per cent turn out.