NORTON campaigners for a parish council are pleased to have cleared the first hurdle in establishing a new council.

An average 15pc of electors have signed a petition asking Stockton Council and the Government to designate Norton as a parish. A minimum of 10pc was legally required if any action was to be considered.

Campaigners have submitted data to Stockton Council, as legally required, and it now has to consult electors to gauge support for a parish council. It could hold a referendum.

Stockton Council's results will then be sent to the Secretary of State and a final decision will be taken by Whitehall.

At Wednesday night's meeting in the community centre, the parish steering committee's pleasure was slightly dampened by news that possible elections could be delayed until May 2004. This was because an electoral review of Stockton was being undertaken by the Local Government Commission.

However, the review is expected to redraw the Norton ward to an area more in keeping with residents' identities.

Steering committee chairman, Graham Mitchell, said there would be a projected 15,495 Norton voters at the time of an election. He suggested 22 parish councillors would be appropriate.

Speaking about the petition results, he said: "We decided we needed ten per cent of each electoral district to be truly representative. In total, we received 2,362 signatures which is 15pc. The strongest support was in the existing Norton ward, with 17pc, and the weakest was Portrack and Tilery, at 12pc.

"The petition was well supported. The High Street and Norton Green were heavily canvassed and 32pc of people signed our petition.

"However, some did not and reluctance was spread fairly evenly, although the strongest opposition was at Junction Road and Mill Lane."

Speaking of the electoral review, he added: "We did not think there would be a great change to Norton's boundaries; however, it did not work out like that."

He had a map of the suggested new Norton ward, which was a triangular shape bounded by the A19 on the east. Billingham Beck would be removed.

Some residents at the meeting opposed establishing a parish council, claiming it would be costly, bureaucratic and self-serving.

However, Mr Mitchell said it would only have one employee, a clerk, would be accountable to the electorate, and would use its proposed £80,000 precept to enhance Norton's appearance and facilities for everyone.

"The majority of people are prepared to pay a bit extra for better facilities and a stronger local voice," he emphasised.

An £80,000 parish precept would be peanuts compared to Stockton's £19m budget, he suggested.

Borough councillors Steve Nelson and Bob Cook said Stockton Council would consider how to proceed with its consultation in an objective way