Plans to progress proposed devolution deal backed by North Yorkshire councillors

The Government has been urged to press ahead with plans to bring a host of benefits to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in North Yorkshire through a much-anticipated devolution deal.

Members of North Yorkshire County Council have today (Friday, February 24) backed proposals at a full council meeting to send the results of a public consultation to Ministers to progress plans to create a mayoral combined authority.

Residents, businesses and charity and voluntary organisations took part in the consultation in York and North Yorkshire to gather the public’s views on the proposed devolution deal, which would give more funding and far greater decision-making powers to the region.

Most respondents were generally in favour of the proposed governance of the devolution deal, with organisations including the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network recognising that it is a tried and tested model for building strong local leadership with new powers.

The plans for devolution, which is a key policy under the Government’s levelling up agenda, are set to bring wide-ranging benefits to the 615,000 residents and more than 32,000 businesses in North Yorkshire, including new jobs, more affordable housing and measures to tackle climate change.

Following support from the public for the proposed deal, it is hoped that a combined authority, which would be responsible for overseeing devolved decision-making powers and millions of pounds of funding for both York and North Yorkshire, will be established later this year. Mayoral elections would follow in 2024.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “The benefits of devolution are clearly evident elsewhere in Yorkshire, and we are committed to making sure that North Yorkshire is also given the chance to see the real opportunities that decision-making on a far more local level would bring.”

The combined authority is set to be overseen by an elected mayor, co-ordinating key strategic projects ranging from major transport improvements and boosting skills and education to providing more affordable housing in York and North Yorkshire.

The mayor would act as an influential figurehead for York and North Yorkshire, developing close links with the Government to secure more funding and decision-making powers as the devolution deal evolves over the coming years.

Cllr Les, who will assume the leadership of North Yorkshire Council from April 1, stressed that the mayor is due to be elected by residents of York and North Yorkshire so they would be directly accountable to the electorate at the ballot box. Their activities would also be scrutinised by an overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Les added: “It would be vital that the mayoral combined authority would work closely with both the new North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council to listen and ensure the views and priorities of communities and businesses across the whole area are represented.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily