A PETITION is to be raised to try to force a referendum on a new town council.

A public meeting held at Durham Town Hall last night voted to gather signatures backing plans to create a new town council, which would cover those parts of the city centre and Newton Hall which do not at present have a parish council.

Ten per cent of eligible voters would have to sign the petition, approximately 1,300 names, to trigger a referendum.

Durham County Council has confirmed that a review will place in the New Year, but Wednesday’s meeting was called by former mayor Alderman Mary Hawgood to force the pace of the review.

She told the meeting: "Like many people here I have become increasingly worried about the lack of progress.

"We need a town council for planning matters because a town council would be consulted - most of the planning committee do not know Durham very well and we have no input."

Framwellgate resident Chris Plummer told the 75-strong meeting: "Fundamentally, this is not about money, it’s about representation and whether the city should have a voice."

However, former mayor Coun Dennis Southwell cautioned against pursuing a referendum before a proper business plan had been worked out, given the high overheads that running the town hall and maintaining its treasures would entail. He said: "There is no need, I would suggest, for petitions."

Elvet resident Norma Hayton said: "In the current economic climate people can’t afford to pay extra for a town council and a lot of people are quite happy with the way things are now."

The meeting voted by 33 votes to three to raise a petition calling for a town council.