RESIDENTS go to the polls for the first parish referendum in a North-East town today, but a row has broken out after council bosses said their votes would count for nothing.

More than 1,100 people in the Whessoe parish of Darlington will be asked whether or not they want the area's landmark pub, the White Horse Hotel, to be demolished.

The pub, in North Road, is due to be pulled down to make way for 55 apartments after planning permission was granted by Darlington Borough Council last year.

But campaigners, angry at how the authority handled the planning application, are continuing their protests.

Voting will take place in the White Horse itself between 4pm and 9pm.

However, borough and parish council officials were adamant last night that the referendum was meaningless.

The outcome of the poll is not legally binding on any authority, and the demolition of the pub still rests with the developers.

Critics of the Save the White Horse group's efforts to force the referendum also branded it a waste of money, with the parish council -which does not support the move -facing a £1,000 bill.

But Gill Cartwright, of the Save the White Horse group, believes success for the protestors could open the door for similar polls in other parts of town.

She said: "In theory, there could be one every day of the week. It is little-known legislation and we had to work hard to find it.

"I am sure there will be criticism about the cost, but in the council's £100m budget, it is a drop in the ocean."

Whessoe Parish Council believes its precept on next year's council tax bills will have to rise because of costs associated with the poll.

Vice-chairman Malcolm Guy said: "Council tax in the Whessoe parish is going to rise because of this -not by much, but it will rise.

"We were told that this would have no effect on us, but £1,000 is a pretty big effect.

"There is only one person who can stop this going ahead and that is the developer."

A borough council spokesman said: "Whatever the outcome, it will have no bearing on the future of the White Horse in any way."

The authority is irritated at having to go through the process, according to an e-mail from solicitor Peter Kearsley to chief executive Ada Burns.

The memo, sent on December 13, said: "This request is part of the tactical campaign to cause a nuisance to the borough council.

"That really is as far as it goes because the outcome of the poll is not binding on the parish council or the borough council, but will simply be used in PR by the group, assuming that it goes their way."

But Mrs Cartwright hit back, saying: "We are really quite disappointed by that attitude. It is worrying that they are saying a democratically held referendum is a nuisance."

The polling process

* Six signatures were needed to call the parish meeting. The parish council did not have to be asked, but had to be notified.

* Details of the meeting had to be posted in at least one prominent place in the area, giving seven days' notice.

* Ten residents of the parish were needed at the meeting to support a motion to hold a referendum, under the Local Government Act 1972.

* A speech including the motion had to be given and the borough or district council notified immediately afterwards.

* The council then returned with a date and venue for the poll.

* Canvassing then began, with campaigners knocking on doors and delivering leaflets explaining the issue and urging eligible residents to vote.

* The council's chief executive or returning officer will announce the result after the poll has closed tomorrow.