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27
Oct 2020
Single council for North Yorkshire 'could cost £38 million to set up'
North Yorkshire County Council has outlined its case for a single council for the county in a move which officials say could cost up to £38 million to set up.
Consultants Pricewaterhouse Cooper reported to NYCC on the plans, revealing that setting up a single authority will cost a minimum of £18m and as much as £38m.
However, the authority also predicts savings of up to £252 million over five years, equivalent to £50.4m per year.
Outlining the county's bid, Cllr Carl Les, leader of NYCC, said the proposal would cut waste and empower communities. As part of the plan, the model proposes 25 community networks with further devolved powers for parish councils.
It would see the single council sit alongside the City of York Council, which backed the model last week and would remain unaffected.
Cllr Les said:
The plan is one of two put forward for North Yorkshire as the government prepares to scrap both county and district councils, and replace them with one or more single-tier authorities in the area.
Alternative plans
Against NYCC's plans for one unitary authority, the seven district councils - including Harrogate Borough Council - have put forward plans for an east-west model with two authorities, effectively splitting the county in two down the middle. York City Council would be dissolved and the city would become part of the eastern side of the split.
According to documents delivered by consultants KPMG, the east-west proposal could cost up to £39.4m. The minimum cost would be £29.1m, though the model could deliver savings of between £32.5m and £55.8m each year - equivalent to between £162.5m and £279m over a five year period.
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The district councils' plans also say they would offer parish councils "the potential to take on additional responsibilities based on a two-way conversation".
Although the number of elected councillors has yet to be agreed for the model, proposals say it is likely to be a reduction from the 348 posts currently filled across city, county and district authorities in North Yorkshire.
Under the county-wide model, NYCC said current boundaries suggest there would be 144 councillors, but a review of wards would be needed after the new authority came into effect. It proposes six area committees, each with around 15 councillors, in line with the constituencies of North Yorkshire's MPs.
Election delay
Ahead of the submission, NYCC bosses are also expected to request that county council elections in May 2021 are delayed until the following year.
This would allow any councillors to be elected to the new authority, should it be approved.
The proposal comes after Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Local Government, invited councils to submit plans for a shake up of local councils ahead of a potential devolution bid.
Councils have until November 9 to submit an outline proposal to government, with a December 9 submission deadline for full plans.
Both North Yorkshire County Council's executive and Harrogate Borough Council's cabinet will meet next week to discuss their proposals and vote on whether to put them before their full councils. If they agree to do so, all councillors will have the opportunity to vote on the respective plans at separate full council meetings next Wednesday, November 4.
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