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12
Jun
North Yorkshire mayor 'incredibly disappointed' following spending review
York and North Yorkshire’s mayor has said he is "incredibly disappointed" following the Spending Review, despite investment being announced for the region.
Labour Mayor David Skaith said he welcomed investment into York Central and a bus franchising pilot but the Spending Review had not gone far enough for the region, particularly on transport.
He added the Combined Authority was expecting further announcements on infrastructure next week as work with ministers to address an £18.5m shortfall for the York Station Gateway scheme remains ongoing.
The mayor’s comments come after Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out the Government’s spending plans for the coming years yesterday (Wednesday, June 11).
The Labour chancellor told Parliament the review aimed to deliver security, economic growth and make the NHS fit for the future.
Pledges in the Spending Review include £244m to complete planned Government Hubs, which aim to move civil servants out of London.
The Government Hub site planned at York Central, where around 2,600 civil service staff will be based, is among those receiving a share of the funds.
A pilot to explore bus franchising in York and North Yorkshire is also set to receive a backing from a £750m-a-year fund to improve services.
Mr Skaith said support for the York Central hub was welcome, given it was a key anchor development for the wider site.
He added the franchising pilot would help the Combined Authority explore how buses would work in the future in rural areas as the region’s geography continues to present challenges.
But he said the Government had not done enough to address decades of neglect and decline faced by the region’s rural and coastal areas.
Mr Skaith said:
We’re incredibly disappointed about wider funding for transport and the future of devolution.
We’re exploring what the bus franchising announcement means and what it will entail, but we haven’t seen the level of investment in transport needed to grow our region and bring economic prosperity.
Investment into the York Station Gateway site and to have projects like that up and running is key. There’s going to be an infrastructure announcement next week and we’ve been working with the Government on that.
We have a great opportunity here to showcase how devolution can be done outside major cities. We need to show that it can work in rural and coastal areas.
We’re looking to drive investment into York and North Yorkshire because we’ve been left behind for decades. These announcements fall well short of what we need to deliver the full ambitions we have for our region.
Meanwhile, York Central’s Labour MP, Rachael Maskell, said increases in invesment, including £39bn for affordable homes and extra cash for schools and the NHS was long overdue.
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