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22
Jul 2021
North Yorkshire single council 'will make things simpler', says county council leader
A single super council for the entire of North Yorkshire will “make things simpler”, says the leader of the county council.
The government announced yesterday that North Yorkshire's two-tier council system will be scrapped and replaced by one unitary authority in what will be the biggest shake-up of local government since the 1970s.
It means Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining districts will no longer exist. However, the City of York Council will remain in place.
Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, and Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council, have both said they were disappointed with the announcement.
The plan put forward by the district authorities they represent would have seen the county split in half, with one council in the east and another in the west.
Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, whose single super council mode prevailed, said last night:
Meanwhile, Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat leader of City of York Council, welcomed the new that the authority will not be affected by the shake-up.
Read more:
- What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?
- Harrogate council leader: ‘county council let the borough down’
- Government chooses single super authority to replace Harrogate council
Councillors in York voted in October 2020 to reject the notion of a merger and to support City of York’s continuation as a council in its own right.
Cllr Aspden said:
The move was also welcomed by Unison North Yorkshire, which represents 5,500 council workers across the county.
Wendy Nichols, secretary of the North Yorkshire branch, said district authority employees would be able to transfer to the new authority on current terms and conditions under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).
She said:
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