PLANS for Selby District Council to work more closely with North Yorkshire County Council have moved closer, but Selby’s council leader has denied it is a takeover.

As previously reported in The Press, Selby’s chief executive, Martin Connor, is working two days a week with the county council as part of a scheme to see how the two authorities can work more closely.

At an extraordinary meeting of the district council last week, councillors agreed making a firm link between the authorities would benefit residents by ensuring better frontline services could be delivered more cost effectively.

Councillor Mark Crane, leader of Selby District Council, said: “We won’t lose local political accountability; this isn’t a takeover of one council by another. This is about delivering better services for less money.”

A report into the plans, to go before the county council executive tomorrow, said: “All councils face considerable financial challenges, not least the county council which is part-way through a prohramme to save £92million in a four-year period.

“In the long term it is envisaged that there will be potential through greater collaboration with Selby District Council for financial savings to be achieved. Without further work being undertaken it is unwise to speculate what this may be.”

The report highlights areas such as libraries, children’s and youth support centres, leisure services and day centres, benefits, personal care and highways, which would be suitable for joint working, but highlights potential problems with staff resistance to potential redundancies and relocations.

Coun Crane said: “By working more closely together we can deliver a better frontline service, in particular for those needing the most support, and do so far more efficiently compared to working separately as we do now.”

The County Council will consider the proposals at a meeting on May 15.