INCREASING bureaucracy and Government inertia has been blamed for the decay in North Yorkshire's rural infrastructure.

The attack was made by Newton-le-Willows parish councillor Johnnie Johnson at the Lower Wensleydale Parish Forum, at Redmire..

"There is a lot of frustration at grass roots level about quality councils, the code of conduct, register of interests (for parish councillors) and a wide range of other issues."

The increase in council tax, amounting to ten per cent for some, was way above the inflation rate and would be beyond the means of many pensioners, he said.

"And we are not getting value for our money," he told the meeting.

He criticised the increasing bureaucracy and inertia of local government and said that many minor roads would remain unrepaired this coming year.

"We have more minor roads than anything else. How can people get to school or to work, or get their produce to market, if the roads are bad?"

He warned that if the county council did not start maintaining the minor roads they would face an even larger repair bill sometime in the future.

Coun Johnson continued: "We contribute something like £2.3 million to the South- East. That has got to be wrong - it is iniquitous. There is a steady rural decay in North Yorkshire and that is largely due to the low budget."

He added: "It is time we stood up and were counted and made our voice heard in Westminster."