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17
May
Mayor’s pothole funding row: what do the numbers say?
The past two months have seen cracks appear in an otherwise cooperative relationship between the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and his Tory counterparts on North Yorkshire Council.
The crux of the disagreement is David Skaith’s decision to change the formula for highways funding, which has seen £4 million be diverted to York from North Yorkshire.
Mr Skaith argues that the overall package of funding is more than the region has ever had, but senior Conservatives in North Yorkshire described the move as “frankly outrageous” and “disgraceful”.
The whole saga boils down to the numbers and how the Tories believe they have been changed and “politicised”.
In this article, the Stray Ferret takes a deeper dive into the figures involved to analyse how it has caused the first rupture in the relationship between the mayor and his constituent council.
What is the row about?
The Department for Transport has allocated £456 million in transport funding to York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which the mayor oversees, over the next four years.
The combined authority then distributes the funding to both City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council for highways schemes.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
However, in March, Mr Skaith approved changes to the formula, which he said result in more money to both councils to fix the region’s roads over the next four years.
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's plans 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.
The overall sum received by both councils will increase — but altering the formula has infuriated Conservatives in North Yorkshire.
What do the numbers say?
Four weeks after Mr Skaith’s decision, James Gilroy, team leader of highway asset management at North Yorkshire Council, published a report outlining the potential impact of the mayor’s funding changes.
Mr Gilroy, who wrote the report alongside Allan McVeigh, head of network strategy, confirmed the combined authority's decision will see £20.5 million less highway maintenance funding over the four-year funding period.
NYC graph showing the difference between the two funding formulas in "real terms". Picture: NYC.
Mr Gilroy pointed out that, while there was an uplift in funding for 2026/27, the four-year funding period would be less than the Department for Transport would have allocated it under a previous formula.
The report goes on to add that the original Department for Transport funding method would have seen a real terms increase over the next four years of £21.4 million compared with £800,000 in the combined authority’s proposal.
Mr Gilroy said:
Whilst the uplift in funding is welcomed for 26/27, it does not negate the fact that North Yorkshire Council will now receive £20.5M less for highway maintenance funding up until 29/30 than would have been the case if the DfT baseline allocations had been retained.
The report goes on to list a range of schemes which the council could deliver at least one of “with every £1 million of funding”, which you can read about here.
Why does this matter?
For the Conservatives which run North Yorkshire Council, the move is a big deal.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, has already written to the combined authority, which Mr Skaith chairs, threatening legal action over its decision.
Meanwhile, at an executive meeting on Tuesday (May 13), Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader, described the mayor’s move as an “attack on rural North Yorkshire”.
Cllrs Carl Les (left) and Gareth Dadd.
However, beyond the political attacks and rhetoric from Tory politicians, there is genuine concern about the mayor’s decision.
Senior North Yorkshire councillors are furious because they fear the move will have a material impact on the council’s highways capital plan — an area which comes with a lot of attention from the public.
What does the mayor say?
This is without doubt Mr Skaith’s first real political test so far in his time in office.
But, despite the legal threats and jibes from the Tories, the Labour mayor has stuck to his guns on the matter.
On multiple occasions, he has pointed to “record investment” and making the roads safer in York and North Yorkshire and the fact that North Yorkshire will receive an uplift in funding for this financial year.
In an interview with the Stray Ferret last week, he also brushed off being likened to Dick Turpin on the matter. He said:
I couldn’t really care less what someone like him is going to call me. North Yorkshire need to realise they are getting more money than they have ever had to fix potholes.
But, North Yorkshire councillors are set to call on Mr Skaith to reconsider his decision at a full council meeting on Wednesday (May 20).
The saga over pothole funding is set to rumble on.
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