A TORY-run council has been accused of attacking democracy by launching a constitutional shake-up with the intention of empowering local members.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive is today expected to recommend its “internal devolution” plan for approval, in which its seven area committees are replaced by six others based on the county’s parliamentary constituencies.

The move also aims to pass decision-making on an increasing range of services and issues to constituency committees and will see MPs invited to attend the new-look committees, enabling councillors and Westminster politicians to hold each other to account and facilitate dialogue in an open forum.

Critics of the move say several of the new-look committees will serve areas featuring towns and villages which are more than 50 miles apart and have little in common, such as Hawes in Upper Wensleydale and Great Ayton, near Teesside.

The authority’s deputy leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd said: “We want more input from the council’s membership.Area committees have waned and they are not grasping the strategic issues. They never look at major services such as education or social services and yet they are well placed to come up with responses as they are closer.

“While there are just six members of the Richmondshire Area Committee, there are 18 in the Harrogate one, and recommendations from each of the committees carry the same weight.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Bryn Griffiths said he had reservations as when Hambleton district and the Richmondshire district councils shared services “it didn’t work so well”.

Leader of the council’s Labour group, Councillor Eric Broadbent said the move would hit democracy by giving some of the new-look committees less powers. He said: “This is political manoeuvring and the MPs are not going to turn up.”

Upper Dales independent councillor John Blackie described the proposals as “naked political gerrymandering”.