LEYBURN resident, Bernard Borman, said yesterday he hoped his eight-year feud with Richmondshire District Council could soon be at an end.

The administration's standards committee agreed to listen to his grievances against senior members of the authority's executive.

Members met yesterday to examine Mr Borman's complaint that the corporate unit manager, Margaret Barry, had taken too long to respond to a letter he sent in March.

It had included a number of grievances about her conduct and that of the council's chief executive, Harry Tabiner.

The complaint on the agenda was about the alleged delay in Ms Barry's reply, so it was agreed another meeting would examine the wider issues involved. Mr Borman will be invited to meet the council's officer team.

It will assist him to form a complaint which can be properly considered by the standards committee.

"I hope I will now have the opportunity to make my complaints properly,'' said Mr Borman after the meeting.

"What I want is an apology for the things which have been said about me.''

Last year, Mr Tabiner said investigations into complaints made by Mr Borman had cost the district council more than £100,000 over eight years.

Mr Borman disputes this.