people are being given more say on local council services - by calculating their own budget.

Residents of the Ryedale District Council area can now get more involved in the decision-making process by completing a virtual budget calculation on the Internet.

The Budget Simulator is a simple online questionnaire backed by the Improvement and Development Agency.

It invites people to make changes to council spending and prioritise the services provided by the authority.

The user can then see how services are affected.

Ryedale is hoping to keep any rise in the district element of the council tax to no more than the rate of annual inflation, which is presently 2.5 per cent.

That would mean a total charge on an average house for all Ryedale's services, from refuse collection to community safety, in the region of £3.10 a week.

The chairman of the policy and resources committee, Robert Wainwright, said: "The views of local people are vital to our decision-making process.

"The simulator will provide an easy to use and accessible way to find out local people's views and I urge as many people as possible to take part."

The simulator gives the opportunity for people to say how they would organise the council budget across a range of services and shows what the consequences of those choices will be.

Residents without their own computers can visit Kirkbymoorside Community Office and Pickering Community Resource Centre. It is also hoped to make access to the simulator available at Ryedale House, in Malton.

The simulator is at www.budgetsimulator.com/ ryedale