A TOWN council’s request for an extra two councillors has been recommended for refusal by a Ryedale District Council (RDC) committee.

Malton Town Council wants to increase its number of elected councillors from 10 to 12 due to growth in the town with new homes being built.

In November, it put forward a request to the district authority to undertake a review into the possibility of increasing the number of councillors.

But at a meeting of the district council’s policy and resources committee on Thursday, members narrowly opted to deny the request, five votes to four with one abstention.

Malton’s request for more town councillors had been backed up by a petition signed by 436 residents - about 10 per cent of the total number of electors in the town.

In response, RDC ran a two-month consultation, which concluded on January 18. It said it publicised the consultation on its website, on parish noticeboards, through press releases and through communication with local community groups.

Despite this, just five Malton residents responded in support of the additional councillors.

RDC committee members were split on whether to recommend the request for approval.

Cllr Luke Ives, committee chairman, said that the last two town council vacancies have been uncontested, suggesting there is no demand among the public to become a town councillor.

He said: “The fact that the population has increased - increasing the likelihood of an election - is to be welcomed.

And he added that uncontested appointments are undemocratic, particularly for bodies that make decisions on public spending. “It’s a fundamental issue,” he said.

But Cllr Lindsay Burr said: “Many councils differ in many ways. Malton is a proactive council and it wants to do lots of different things. Surely getting more people involved is commendable.”

The committee heard that there are no set rules on how many councillors per elector there should be in parish and town councils.

For example, both Pickering and Norton councils have 12 councillors, but each has a slightly higher number of electors than Malton currently.

Responding to the committee’s recommendation after the meeting, Malton’s mayor Cllr Paul Andrews said: “I am disappointed. Malton Town Council has a first class team and we have achieved much over recent years.

"The population of the town has increased by almost one third since 2011, and the number of town councillors has been 10 for many years more years before then in spite of previous new development.

“If the district wants to grow the town, I cannot see why they would prevent an increase in democratic representation.

“The public have been consulted and, as Malton town councillors are not paid, there will be no increase in cost for tax payers.”

The decision will go to a full council meeting of RDC later in the month where it’s possible a different view will be taken.