AN accountant has claimed that a unitary council for North Yorkshire would dramatically increase council tax bills.

The county council, which has applied to the Government for unitary status, says the move will save £2.7m a year by replacing the existing seven district council chief executives with one.

Supporters also estimate efficiency savings of almost £14m by 2012 by eliminating duplication and streamlining services.

But accountant Leslie Rowe, from Brompton on Swale, near Richmond, claims the unitary authority would cost £100m more than the existing structure in the three years from 2009.

Mr Rowe, a Green Party candidate in last week's local elections, said the creation of a unitary council would add £443 to every council tax bill in the county.

"The figures produced by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) just do not add up," he said. "They fail to take fully into account the huge redundancy costs for the 4,600 district council employees, as well as the new computer systems and training needed to produce unitary council tax and other commitments."

The Government gave the go-ahead for the county council's bid, made in January, to move to consultation.

Mr Rowe said: "This Government is well known for under-estimating the cost of projects such as the 2012 Olympics. It is no surprise that it failed to see glaring omissions in the NYCC bid."