"There were over 13,000 responses from residents, councils in neighbouring areas, health providers, the police, Local Enterprise Partnerships, businesses voluntary groups and educational bodies. The three criteria which had to be met before a proposal was accepted were:

"Councils in the area have until September to submit their proposals for what the future unitary authority could look like.

Steve Siddons, Leader of Scarborough Borough Council, said: "We would support that. I would certainly support that and I think that makes far more sense than the complex system that we have in place. The services would still be provided locally. It would bring more money into the local economy, it means that we'll have more control over economic regeneration, transport and over infrastructure."

"The session on Tuesday 19 February at 1.00pm at the Town Hall, St Nicholas Street, Scarborough, will include discussions about the role of a councillor, the responsibilities of the council and how it operates, as well as the skills required for the role.  There will also be a chance to quiz current councillors to find out what it is really like to be an elected member of the council.

The aim of the session is to inform those who might be interested in standing for election but are unsure about what is involved.