THE new code of conduct being demanded by the Government for local councillors is causing a severe headache for members of the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Included in the new code, which comes into effect in April, is the rule where members have to disclose an interest in any items which might be beneficial.

The authority's membership is made up of farmers, landowners, and other people who have experience of the land.

Discussing adoption of the code, Coun Herbert Tindall said "My family is in farming and I still have an interest. Surely this new rule means that I can no longer take part in any business or grants involving farming?"

Richard Daly, monitoring officer, explained: "You could take part in the general discussion so long as you declared an interest but when it came to voting you would have to ask yourself, 'is this to my financial benefit' and if the answer was yes, leave the room.

"We do not want to lose all the expertise and experience of the people on this authority."

He added: "For example, we would not want to ban a member of the British Horse Society from joining any discussion as every time a bridle path issue came up it could be said that this person had an interest. "

Betsy Hill added: "Yes, all the people who put themselves forward for this authority all have an interest in the land. This is why we are here."

Chairman Helen Schroeder added: "The new code is a very complex one for this type of authority and we will continually come up against it. I think we have to adopt it now and see how it goes and be flexible."

Counting cost of lack of sheep

IT could cost the North York Moors National Park Authority thousands of pounds unless sheep are put onto the moors to graze again.

Coun Herbert Tindall, chairman of the primary land users' group of the authority, told members that it was of grave concern that the number of sheep grazing on the vast moorland area had diminished so much owing to the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"We must get them back again or the moors will become a wilderness of scrub and it could cost this authority thousands, even a million pounds to clear the trees, which would be allowed to grow," he said.

An example of how the moors would be affected became apparent in the Seventies after widespread moorland fires which necessitated them being closed for a year, he said.

"We need the sheep back on the land to eat all the buds from the trees. Getting the sheep back on the moors is a key issue," he added.