Sir,- I write further to the recent coverage and letters that have appeared in the D&S over the last two weeks, and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the position of North Yorkshire County Council in terms of consultation on the proposed scheme and the required funding for those plans.

As Cabinet member with portfolio responsibility for libraries, I have been aware for several years of the lack of suitable accommodation for our library services in Stokesley. Our own county-wide market research, which included street interviews in Stokesley, has highlighted the issues that we have been aware of for some time - that is, that fewer people are enrolling as library members, particularly those under the age of 25 - the reasons for this being largely the unattractive and cramped facilities that our services are housed in. The message came through clearly that, in order to maintain the library's role as a key community resource, we must bring our services into the twenty-first century, creating libraries stocked with up-to-date services and products and in which people will wish to spend their precious leisure time.

Whenever we have been able, we have seized the opportunity to work in partnership to respond to what our communities are telling us. In the case of Ripon, where services were moved to a new purpose-built facility, our "business" has increased by 300pc in all areas, including membership and loans.

We very much see this proposed scheme as a unique opportunity to provide the Stokesley community with the sort of state-of-the-art library and information services that we feel all sections of the community deserve. The financing package for providing this kind of facility is entirely dependent upon the sale of the Manor House. It is not simply a case of having one without the other.

I hope that this clarifies some of the vision and deep commitment we have as an authority and that I personally have towards improving our services to the community of Stokesley and that we can begin to secure a centre of excellence that the town can be proud of.

County Coun JOHN DENNIS

North Yorkshire County Council,

County Hall,

Northallerton.

Recount call

Sir, - I stood as the Conservative candidate in the Richmond East Ward at the recent Richmondshire District elections held on May 1, 2003. There were two seats contested between four candidates with the votes adjudicated as:

John Harris (LD) 486

Tom Burrows (I) 409

Iain McDougall (C) 408

John Robinson (LD) 342

At the time of the first count the Independent candidate was adjudged to have polled 410 votes with myself polling 409 votes. The presiding officer decided that because of the closeness of the vote between the Independent and Conservative candidates, there should be a recount for the second available seat, to which we readily agreed.

The result of the recount produced a result showing the Independent candidate as polling 409 votes with myself polling 408 votes. The presiding officer then advised that he was adjudicating the result in favour of the Independent candidate.

I objected and requested that a further recount be carried out as clearly there was a discrepancy of two votes between the original count and the recount. Despite my protest, the presiding officer refused to permit a second recount, notwithstanding that the first recount was conducted within about 30 minutes and any subsequent recount could easily have been carried out within a similar time frame.

I am of the opinion that the procedure adopted by the presiding officer in not allowing a second recount to be open to question, and accordingly have referred the situation to the Electoral Commission for its consideration.

IAIN McDOUGALL

Frenchgate,

Richmond.