NEWS that the Ministry of Agriculture centre at Northallerton is to remain open was tempered this week with proposed changes to the way support payments are paid to farmers.

Months of uncertainty ended on Monday with an announcement that the jobs of 300 staff at the regional service centre in Crosby Road were safe.

About 1,400 jobs will go at other ministry centres around the country, however, as the Government moves towards a computerised system of subsidy payments.

The Government hopes that in its efforts to make the service more efficient, 95pc of forms will be processed electronically by 2004.

The future of the Northallerton centre, officially opened only last November by agriculture secretary Mr Elliot Morley, was put under a cloud by a consultants' report which recommended that the ministry should operate from fewer regional centres.

The move would have reduced the number of centres from 11 to three, halve staff numbers from 3,300 to about 1,620 and left Carlisle as the nearest centre for farmers in North Yorkshire.

A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union at the Northallerton centre said there was relief and delight at Mr Brown's announcement.

It was ahard working office which achieved 99pc of its targets and no job losses were anticipated.

Mr Jeremy Walker, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority had been lobbying hard behind the scenes to highlight the benefits of a continuing ministry presence in the county town.

"Together with Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, we were keen to ensure that the new market towns initiative, which over the coming years promises major help for the county's market towns, should not be undermined at first base by the loss of a major employer in Northallerton.

Coun Jack Dobson, mayor of Northallerton, last month wrote to Mr Morley pointing out the loss of trade and community, and the effect on hard -pressed farmers, if the centre closed.

Coun Dobson said this week: "I feel sorry for people who are losing their jobs at centres in other parts of the country but there is great relief that Northallerton is staying open."

A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said Mr Brown's announcement gave farmers a breathing space but the role of the Northallerton centre was changing.

"We wanted the service currently provided by the ministry to remain at the same level, if not better, in future.

"This news will be welcomed by many people in Northallerton but we also welcome the news that the ministry will, at least in the short term, maintain its front line staff in the period of transition to electronic forms. Farmers will still need to talk to a member of staff.

"After 2004 we still have to recognise that about 5pc of farmers will still need to talk to the ministry. Nothing is set in stone yet. Many farmers are now moving towards computers and electronic form filling will bring benefits, but we don't want farmers steamrollered."