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21
Oct 2022
Consultation launched over £540m North Yorkshire devolution deal
People across the Harrogate district will be asked from today for their views on a historic £540 million devolution deal for North Yorkshire.
In August, county council leaders agreed the long-awaited deal with ministers to devolve more powers, including an elected mayor, to North Yorkshire and York.
The deal will see £18 million year worth of funding devolved to the county over 30 years.
Now, as part of the process to bring more powers to North Yorkshire, the public, businesses and charity organisations will be asked for their thoughts on the deal.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:
Pictured: Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Greg Clark MP and Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council sign the document.
Meanwhile, Helen Simpson, chair of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
Consultation on the deal will run until Friday, December 16. People can have their say at the York and North Yorkshire Devolution website here.
What is in the deal?
As part of the devolution deal, a mayoral combined authority would be formed with a directly-elected mayor by May 2024.
It would mirror similar arrangements in the Tees Valley, where Conservative mayor Ben Houchen oversees the combined authority.
Read More:
- Have devolution fears that Harrogate will be voiceless come true?
- Mayor for North Yorkshire agreed in £540m historic devolution deal
- North Yorkshire’s devolution deal: What’s in it and how will it work?
While the planned North Yorkshire deal brings £540 million worth of investment funding, it is lower than the original £750 million requested by local leaders.
However, more power over skills and transport will be devolved.
It will see whoever is elected mayor and the new combined authority have control over the adult education budget and the ability to draw up its own transport strategy.
Control over bus franchising has also been granted to the county and the power to set up Mayoral Development Corporations, which have the power to buy land for housing or employment to regenerate a defined area.
Much of the deal echoes what was given to Tees Valley in 2015, where mayor Houchen has since exercised his economic development powers to buy Teesside International Airport and Redcar Steelworks.
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