A TREE was planted last Tuesday to mark 100 years since the start of building work on County Hall in Northallerton.

Designed by Walter Brierley of York, the work took three years to complete at a cost of about £40,000, including the price of the land.

The building, which has been at the core of local government in North Yorkshire, has remained largely unchanged over the century.

Built of red brick with stone dressings, Brierley described the building as 'quiet and dignified English Renaissance' although the terms 'Baroque' or 'neo-William and Mary' have also been used.

The foundation stone of the building was laid by John Hutton MP, the then chairman of the old North Riding County Council.

Last week's ceremony in the grounds was performed by the chairman of North Yorkshire County Council, Clifford Wilson.

He said: "It's a great honour for me as chairman to mark the centenary of County Hall in this way."

"This building has served as the backbone of local government in North Yorkshire for the past 100 years and I hope it will continue to do so for many years in the future."

County Hall is now the administrative headquarters for education, highways and transport, waste disposal, consumer protection, libraries and care for vulnerable children and adults, as well as financial, building and legal services.

More than 1,000 staff now work on the ten-acre site, although the majority of county council staff work in towns and communities across the county.