RURAL areas of Yorkshire will be swamped by the influence of the county's cities if a referendum on regional government is held, a councillor claimed this week.

Coun John Dinsdale told Aysgarth and District Parish Council on Wednesday that North Yorkshire should have its own referendum separate from the urban areas of West and South Yorkshire about the possible introduction of an elected regional assembly.

Coun Dinsdale, who farms at Thornton Rust in Wensleydale, said that the city vote would dominate any referendum that included West, South and North Yorkshire. "We will be swamped by the cities," he warned.

Those at the meeting were shocked by the reported cost of setting up and running such a regional assembly.

They heard that the initial costs could amount to £25m and that each council tax payer would then have to pay at least 5p a week extra.

Members felt there was no need to change the existing system which worked adequately. If regional government was introduced North Yorkshire County Council would be scrapped and it was likely that Richmondshire and Hambleton district councils would be merged to form a unitary authority.

"We would rather see that £25m put into repairing the roads and providing more beds in hospitals," said the chairman, Coun Brian McGregor.

* Referendum deadline: page 20.

* Hambleton says no: page 19.

* Leading article: page 22.