A CONSTITUTIONAL shake-up which opponents branded “an attack on democracy” has proved a bigger success than those behind the move predicted, it has been claimed.

Leaders of North Yorkshire County Council said the launch of its internal devolution scheme to replace its seven area committees by six others based on the county’s parliamentary constituencies had won over some of those who battled against the changes.

Ahead of the new-look committees system being approved by the Conservative-run authority earlier this year, opposition councillors said they would encompass areas that had little in common. The council’s executive was also criticised as the changes – to pass decision-making to local members on an increasing range of services – ended the last committee at the authority that was not run by Tories.

The authority’s Stronger Communities executive member, Cllr David Chance said the first meetings of the constituency committees had gone “better than anticipated”and most of the county’s MPs had committed to participating in the meetings.

He said: “One of the nice comments that came back was that the standard of the debate seems to have gone up, which is what we were aiming for.”