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27

Aug 2022

Last Updated: 26/08/2022
Politics
Politics

Eight-week consultation to be held on creating North Yorkshire mayor

by John Plummer

| 27 Aug, 2022
Comment

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Do you support the creation of a new combined authority for North Yorkshire and York and a new mayor? Is it a huge opportunity for the region or will too much power be in the hands of one person?

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An eight-week public consultation looks set to start in October asking people in North Yorkshire if they support devolution and the election of a mayor.

North Yorkshire County Council's executive will be asked to agree to the consultation when it meets on September 6.

It will also be asked to pay an initial £600,000 to cover the costs of the consultation exercise and other early implementation costs.

If devolution goes ahead, it will lead to the creation of a combined authority for North Yorkshire and York and the election of a mayor for the region.

A draft deal was signed on August 1, which is Yorkshire Day, in York. The 32-page document promised £540 million over 30 years and more devolved powers over skills, transport and energy.

Now councillors are being asked to move to the next stage of the process.

Councillor Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the county council, hailed the deal as "life-changing for the region's economy", adding:

“I have been a huge supporter of the devolution of powers and money from Whitehall to the Town Hall and of local-led decision making set against our own priorities.
"I have no problem in recommending the acceptance of the draft deal and of asking my executive colleagues to agree a public consultation.”


Earlier this month, the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough called for a public vote on the deal saying it gave too much power to one person. 



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If the consultation is agreed, it will run through the autumn and close before Christmas.

York and North Yorkshire councillors will then consider the results and make a decision on a submission back to the UK government in the spring.

The current timeline then outlines the formation of a combined authority for the region in winter 2023, with the public electing a mayor in May 2024.

The deal can be found on the Government’s website, here.

The executive paper can be read here.