A HERITAGE group formed by angry residents has identified its first campaign.

Members say the first aim of Save Our Shire will be to fight Richmondshire District Council's plans to move offices from Richmond to Colburn.

Council officers have proposed that the existing offices and the Yorke Square car park, in Richmond, should be sold to pay for the £4.5m move.

Councillors are due to meet on Wednesday to discuss a planning application for 14 apartments on the car park.

John McDonald, chairman of the group, said: "The aim of the group will be to protect the heritage of the shire.

"At the moment, the focus will be to save the Yorke Square car park and prevent the move to Colburn.

"But in the future, the aim will be much wider than that."

Mr McDonald said the development on the car park would damage the aesthetics and economy of the town.

The group hopes to raise £5,000 to pay for legal help to fight the sale of the car park and the move to Colburn.

An anonymous donation of £500 has already been received.

Volunteers are also wanted to distribute leaflets.

Group member and Richmond mayor Stuart Parsons said: "The initial task will be to object to the planning application for Yorke Square.

"We then aim to make sure the district council doesn't move and waste £5m, and cause serious damage to Richmond by taking away 150 jobs.

"We've had enough fiddling around - we're now getting serious about this."

Mr Parsons, also a district councillor, continues to protest about the legality of the recently formed Independent Coalition for Richmondshire, which has taken control of the council.

Mr Parsons has sent letters to the Audit Commission, Standards Board, Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

However, senior council officers have denied the launch of the group has broken any regulations.

Planning officer Peter Featherstone is recommending that the planning application to demolish a toilet block and build 14 apartments on Yorke Square is decided at a special meeting on February 22, after a site visit.