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20
Mar
Mayor's budget cuts will be 'very detrimental' to North Yorkshire's roads, says council leader
Millions of pounds of cuts to the county's highways budget will severely impact the state of its roads, North Yorkshire Council’s Tory leader has warned.
The council is facing a massive reduction of £20 million for highways maintenance over the next four years amid plans by the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, to change the allocation of funding between North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £456 million in transport funding for 2026-30 to York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which the mayor oversees.
Funding change in York's favour
The DfT employs a highways funding ratio of 92.7/7.3, with North Yorkshire Council receiving the greater of those two shares, and City of York Council receiving the smaller portion.
But Mr Skaith plans to change the formula to 90/10, meaning that a total of £4 million in funds which would have come to North Yorkshire Council are now due to be redirected to City of York Council under the proposals.
As we reported this week, the plans prompted Ripon Minster and Moorside councillor Andrew Williams to compare Mr Skaith to Dick Turpin, the notorious 18th-century highwayman.
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, has also described the proposals as "somewhat worrying", and said that a reduction in highways maintenance funding would accentuate already intense funding pressures.
Cllr Les said:
We have one of the most extensive roads networks in the country, and we are committed to making sure that our highways are maintained to the best standard possible.
We have faced harsh weather conditions throughout a particularly wet winter, and the full allocation of the Department for Transport’s funding would allow us to start to improve the condition of the highways network.
But to be confronted with a loss of more than £20 million even before inflation is factored in over the next four financial years is going to have a very detrimental effect on the condition of our highways.
This is also putting even more pressure on our financial situation as we have had to deal with a reduction in funding running into millions of pounds in our overall budget.
A meeting of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will be held next Friday (March 27), when members will be asked to approve the four-year delivery plan for the Mayoral Transport Fund.
North Yorkshire Council is set to receive £63.8 million for highways maintenance in 2026/27, which would be an increase from £57.8 million in the current financial year.
However, due to the proposed changes, North Yorkshire Council is set to see a reduction for highways maintenance of £20 million as funding is due to reduce over the following three financial years compared with what would have been received directly from the DfT.
Plans will 'severely impact' communities
Cllr Les and North Yorkshire Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, who are both members of the combined authority, are due to discuss the proposals with the mayor on Friday next week.
Two councillors from City of York Council, who are also members of the combined authority, are due to be involved in next week’s meeting.
Cllr Dadd said:
We have already held discussions with the mayor and our colleagues at the combined authority to point out the impact that the loss of millions of pounds in funding will have, and to try to find a way forward.
We are grateful to the government for the additional funding to deal with potholes that has been announced for all councils. But the mayor is planning to change how this funding is distributed, and we are set to be left with less funding while City of York Council is due to have its share increased.
What is planned would severely impact our communities as well as businesses and visitors who rely so heavily on North Yorkshire’s extensive highways network.
A 'safer school run'
Defending the budget proposals, Mr Skaith said he was "proud" of the plan, which targeted potholes and road safety near schools. He said:
I know first-hand the impact that poorly maintained roads have, not just on drivers, but also on people walking, wheeling and cycling. That’s why, over the next four years, I’m proposing we invest nearly £300 million to fix our roads and tackle potholes.
I’m also proposing a record £17.5 million investment to build and improve cycle routes, pavements and crossings. Creating a safer school run is at the heart of this plan. To support this, an extra £30 million will go towards improving conditions around schools and funding schemes that protect everyone who uses our roads.
I’m proud to put forward this plan for approval. It is a £456 million plan, delivering record levels of investment to fix our roads and make them safer for everyone who uses them.
North Yorkshire’s roads network spans more than 9,200 kilometres, of which 8,600 kilometres is surfaced with the remainder being classed as unsurfaced and unclassified routes.
The county’s surfaced roads network is the sixth largest in England. By comparison, the roads network covered by City of York Council stretches for 790 kilometres.
According to figures from 2024/25, North Yorkshire Council is dealing with 887 kilometres of unclassified roads which are classed as in the most urgent need of repairs – longer than the entire length of York’s highways network.
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