THE authority administering England's largest county is working against the clock as it tries to gauge the level of grass roots public interest in a referendum on proposals for a far-reaching overhaul of regional and local government.

North Yorkshire County Council must start work by next Friday on a wide-ranging consultation exercise if it is to meet a Government deadline of March 3 for initial views on whether people in the county would want a vote on a directly elected Yorkshire regional assembly.

Either the long-established county council or the seven district authorities formed only 30 years ago would disappear if there were enough votes for the type of regional assembly outlined last May by Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, and Stephen Byers, then in charge of transport, local government and the regions.

The Government said at the time that the proposals were a democratic move aimed at bringing decision-making closer to the people and giving the regions a new voice.

Mr Prescott, a long standing advocate of devolution, stressed that assemblies would be introduced in the eight English regions only if there was clear public support.

Public fears were expressed, however, that under a new unitary authority people in the predominantly rural North Yorkshire could find their destiny being decided by powerful urban factions in the south of the region.

It was also claimed that the debate about regional assemblies would be an unnecessary distraction for existing local authorities trying to run the best possible services for council tax payers.

Mr Prescott has now launched a soundings exercise in an attempt to judge whether there would be enough interest in a Yorkshire referendum.

In its response on Tuesday, the North Yorkshire council executive agreed to dip into the authority's cash reserves to pay consultants who would undertake market research through a combination of telephone polls and contacts with focus groups.

No money is specifically allocated in the council budget for the consultancy work, estimated costs of which range from £11,000 to £17,000, though the authority will explore the possibility of collaboration and cost- sharing with some district councils.

Executive members agreed that the county council could augment the consultants' work by sounding out its own staff and extending the research to include parish councils and those who chair school governing bodies.

Coun Murray Naylor said parish councils should be asked to give the issue a top priority, while Coun John Dennis suggested including a stamped addressed envelope for a speedy reply.

Coun Chris Metcalfe, executive member for education, said school governors should be included because they represented a cross-section of the community.

Council chief executive Jeremy Walker said the Government would consider letters and petitions from the public and organisations as well as the results of opinion polls and added: "It is clear that our response will be strengthened by evidence of having consulted widely."

He warned members: "We are working to an extremely tight timescale, requiring turnaround of response data and a conclusion to be reached by the end of January if conclusions are to fed into a report for the county council in February.

"The cost of undertaking market research includes design of appropriate questioning incorporating relevant information. There may be several questions around interest in a referendum but set within different contexts."

Mr Walker said Richmondshire District Council was consulting separately with its residents' panel but had asked for an update county council progress.

Hambleton District Council had expressed interest in joint consultation with the county and proportionate cost sharing. It had suggested polling businesses as well as individuals