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06
Dec 2022
Plan for community networks in North Yorkshire labelled 'crackers'
Plans to create about 30 unelected community networks in North Yorkshire following the abolition of district councils have been criticised as “crackers” and “an academic exercise”.
Councillors from across the political spectrum have voiced a plethora of concerns about North Yorkshire County Council’s proposals to form forums based around market town areas.
The authority has pledged its successor unitary council would be committed to keeping services local and give communities a bigger say in services from April 1, 2023.
Under the proposals, local priorities will be decided by around 30 community networks, based around market town areas.
Made up of community and business groups, town and parish councils and representatives from other local groups and public services, including local councillors, the council claims community networks will act as local agents for economic and social change.
A meeting of the Tory-run council’s corporate scrutiny committee heard councillors brand the proposed forums as unnecessary, while others have said they would be toothless or poorly attended as they could not make financial decisions.
Conservative Cllr Nick Brown, who represents Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, said while elected members would be obliged to attend networks in the division to which they were elected, as the proposed 30 networks did not follow division boundaries, they would need to attend networks outside their division too.
He said elected community representatives needed more consideration in the proposals, which he described as “unpractical” and an “academic exercise”.
Cllr Brown said:
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Hunmanby Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, an independent member, told the meeting there was a consensus among parish councils in her area that community networks would undermine their role in the community.
She added:
After the meeting, the authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said he recognised there were a range of concerns being raised about the community network proposals, but they remained “very much a work in progress” and were being shaped by a range of views.
He said the idea was to bring people together to discuss services and priorities in their areas and would not downgrade parish councils’ influence.
Cllr Les said:
He said such community networks had been in place across North Yorkshire for some time, with Community Engagement Forums in Selby district and Area Partnerships in Richmondshire.
Cllr Les added:
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