PARISH councils have been urged not to panic over Government reforms which for the first time include a register of members' interests available to the public.

One parish council chairman has already revealed that he is refusing to sign up to a new code of conduct, making him ineligible to serve after July, because he believes the new register will be an invasion of privacy.

Coun Terry Noyes, who was co-opted on to Aiskew Parish Council six years ago, said he found the new requirements insulting and warned that his council could face a crisis if the rest of the members decided to follow his lead.

Other members have agreed with his strong views on the Government White Paper but are withholding their own decisions on whether to sign up until the issue is discussed at the next parish liaison meeting with Hambleton council on February 20.

Town and parish councils are expected to adopt the new anti-sleaze code introduced under the 2000 Local Government Act by May 5 and members face disqualification if, two months later, they have not signed a declaration saying they will abide by it.

Coun Noyes, whose council has an annual income of £8,200, claimed the Government had "gone over the top" and said he was refusing to sign up on a point of principle.

"I can see the need for this code of conduct at Westminster, where it needs to be rigorously enforced. I can accept that it should be applied to county and district councils because they have control of, and spend, large sums of public money and have the final say on planning.

"To apply it to parish councils and suggest that anyone should seek to bribe or corrupt me is nonsense. The only things we do is decide who should cut grass or which handyman should repair seats.

"I have no objection to what is in the code and no objection to declaring an interest in something, which I have done once in six years, but parish councillors will now be expected to declare publicly on a register their financial interests, what organisations they belong to and any gifts over £25.

"I find that onerous and an unwarranted invasion of privacy. I think it's unnecessary and in certain circumstances it could be dangerous. I have nothing to declare."

Coun Noyes added: "This is not political. It is a point of principle which I have thought about long and hard.

"We don't take allowances or expenses, so we can't be accused of fiddling them. It costs us money to do this job. This is a super community and we feel obliged to put something into it.

"What we spend is reported to parishioners in our newsletter and all our meetings are open to the public."

Ian Strong, secretary of the Yorkshire Local Councils' Association, said town and parish councils already operated under a code of conduct introduced in 1990 and the government reforms simply made the requirements more explicit.

"Some people share the worries but we are getting panicky before we get the real picture. It will be up to individual councillors. Everyone has been recommended to adopt a model code of conduct.

"Parish councillors are not used to signing a register of interests, which will be kept at the parish and accessed by the public there.

"There are some concerns about invasion of privacy, but we are trying to get parishes some sensible advice and national guidance on what they put into the register and our legal people are working on that.

"It is not a massive problem if something doesn't go into the register because you still have to declare things in the same way at a council meeting.

"Most people do accept that there have to be standards in public life, but if it goes over the top it makes the job unbearable. In a small community it needs to be in proportion.

"Our advice to parishes is not to panic.