MALTON Town Council wants to increase its number of elected councillors from 10 to 12 due to the quantity of new homes being built.

The town council has put forward a request to the district authority to undertake a review into the possibility of increasing the number of councillors.

At a meeting of Ryedale District Council’s policy and resources committee tomorrow (Thursday), district councillors will vote on whether to undertake the so-called community governance review (CGR).

Mayor of Malton Paul Andrews said it was also down to an increase in devolved services.

He said: “Members of Malton Town Council have requested a community governance review to increase the number of Malton town councillors from 10 to 12 due to the increased work for members due to the large number of additional homes being built in Malton, and additional services devolved from Ryedale District Council and North Yorkshire County Council.”

If the council agrees the terms of reference for the CGR, it will be published and an eight-week period of public consultation will take place in Malton.

It is expected this will be ready by late February 2019.

A report by district council officers says that if the district council approve the increase in town councillors, the changes would take effect from the next scheduled parish and town council elections on May 2, 2019.