A mayor and combined authority for North Yorkshire would centralise power into “the hands of a few”, say opposition councillors.
The county and York are set to elect a mayor in May 2024 as devolution plans press ahead.
It comes as ministers signed off this month on a £540 million deal to devolve powers to North Yorkshire, which will include a combined authority.
But opposition councillors have raised concerns that the move will concentrate power centrally, rather than be more democratic.
Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat county councillor who represents Fairfax and Starbeck, said there would be a “democratic deficient” across the county if plans go ahead.
He said:
“Unfortunately next April we will be living in the fourth largest council in the whole of the UK. This will put a real strain on the word ‘local’ when dealing with the way council services are provided.
“We do not think a mayor for North Yorkshire is true devolution or right for our area.
“All the Conservatives are doing is creating a democratic deficient by concentrating power in the hands of a few – that’s where the real problem is going to be for our local democracy.”
Ahead of electing a mayor for the county, a combined authority could be set up next year. A combined authority is a body where two or more councils make joint decisions.
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In this case, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.
Four councillors from each authority will sit on the mayor’s executive, should it wish to operate on such a system.
Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, previously said that such a body would help the county have “one voice” when it comes to dealing with government.
He described the ability to devolve “wide-ranging decision powers” to the county as a “huge opportunity”.
But Cllr Stuart Parsons, an independent councillor on the county council, said the move would mean no “democratic accountability or election”.
Cllr Parsons added that he was concerned that the public had not been asked whether they wanted a mayor.
He said:
“All in all there will be little if any democratic input into our future.
“Devolution should mean the devolving of powers away from the centre but NYCC is heading towards the creation of a much bigger centre.”
Council leader: Devolution will bring benefits to county
In response to the concerns raised by opposition councillors, Cllr Les said:
“The move to a new single council for North Yorkshire presents a landmark for local democracy in the county.
“It will allow us to provide vital local services to the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in North Yorkshire as efficiently as possible, streamlining operations and saving millions of pounds that will be used to finance these frontline services.
“North Yorkshire County Council will merge with the seven district and borough councils in the county, and we are working very closely with our colleagues in these authorities.
“We are fully engaged with them as we move towards the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year, and the expertise and experience of our colleagues in district and borough councils is proving an invaluable asset. “
He added:
“A new chief executive has now been appointed to serve the new council following a recruitment process that was opened up nationally.
“Richard Flinton was deemed to be the best candidate to become the new chief executive, which is testament to his drive, commitment and passion that he has shown during his time at North Yorkshire County Council.
“The move to a unitary authority was a stipulation of the government to secure devolution for North Yorkshire.
“Now that a proposed devolution deal has been announced for York and North Yorkshire, we are committed to ensuring that the agreement works for everyone to bring a host of benefits from better paid jobs, more career opportunities and improved education and skills to better transport links and more affordable housing.”
