It’s Yorkshire Day and Paul reflects on the recently announced shake-up of local government that will see Harrogate Borough Council no longer exist. Not many will be sorry to see it go he argues.
Devolution
Strayside Sunday: I want to pay one council tax to a single and accountable body
Strayside Sunday is our monthly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. August 1st is Yorkshire Day, the day we hang out the white rose flags, revel in the natural and sometimes bleak...
What will devolution mean for Harrogate and North Yorkshire council staff?
The abolition of both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council leaves questions for taxpayers and local services. But, how will council staff be affected by the seismic decision?
‘I think government has got this wrong’: Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Ripon politicians react to devolution
Will North Yorkshire devolution benefit Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge? Senior politicians in each location give us their views.
Robert Jenrick: Two councils for North Yorkshire would have been risky
According to a government letter to council chief executives, Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Local Government, found that an east/west model for North Yorkshire would have been too risky and was not “credible” geographically.
Devolution: A seismic week for Harrogate and North Yorkshire
This week was seismic for Harrogate and North Yorkshire as the county learned its fate as part of the government’s devolution agenda. The Stray Ferret looks back on Robert Jenrick’s landmark council shake-up decision.
Harrogate council CEO: Authority is committed to projects despite devolution
Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, has said the authority will continue with its projects despite the council being set to be abolished in two years time.
The key questions facing Harrogate after devolution
After the government announced that a new council will be formed in North Yorkshire and Harrogate Borough Council will no long exist, it leaves questions over the future of the authority’s projects and assets.
North Yorkshire single council ‘will make things simpler’, says county council leader
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, spoke after the government backed a super council for the county yesterday as part of the biggest shake-up for authorities since the 1970s. It will mean the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council.
Harrogate council leader: ‘county council let the borough down’
Cllr Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the borough council, said that the government’s decision to create a super council for North Yorkshire “flies in the face” of its own criteria.
Government chooses single super authority to replace Harrogate council
In the biggest shake-up of local councils since the 1970s, ministers have chosen a single authority to serve the entire of North Yorkshire. It means that both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council will no longer exist.
What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?
The new North Yorkshire Council will cover 618,000 people and could cost up to £38 million to set up — what does it mean for tax payers? Will it mean the creation of a new Harrogate Town Council? We look at what changes lie ahead.
Blueprint to ‘level up’ rural North Yorkshire published today
A commission set up two years to tackle issues such as low wages, digital connectivity and lack of affordable housing in rural North Yorkshire publishes its findings today.
