Harrogate council leader: ‘county council let the borough down’

Harrogate Borough Council’s leader has said he is disappointed at the government’s decision to create a single super council for North Yorkshire and claimed the county council had “let the borough down”.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick MP revealed that the chosen option was for the new single council structure proposed by North Yorkshire County Council over a rival bid for two authorities split on a east/west basis.

Under the plans York City Council will also remain as a unitary council.

Mr Jenrick rejected the district councils’ model, which would have seen the county split into east and west with two unitary councils.

The move means Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining district authorities will no longer exist.

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Cllr Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the borough council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the government’s decision “flies in the face” of its own criteria.

He said:

“Naturally, I am disappointed at this decision and I will be interested in due course to read the government’s reasoning.

“I have always been in favour of unitary government. It is less confusing for residents who will only have one council to go to for all services and it avoids the expense of duplication.

“My argument has always been that any unitary for our area needs to be of the right size and structure to deliver efficient and responsive services to residents.

“The county council deliver some services exceptionally – children’s services and adult social care to name two. In other areas they let our borough down.

“My job now as the leader of Harrogate Borough Council is to explore how the new unitary authority, based on the county structure, can improve these shortcomings.”

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council and initially supported the east/west model, also said:

“It was not our choice to go down this line and we did not support either of the two proposals but, if pushed, our preferred option would have been a north/south split.

“Of the options that were actually on the table, the single council does make the most sense.

“We will fight to get parishes the power and control they want and we have already started the process of assuring that Harrogate town becomes parished.

“We don’t want the local voice lost in a large anonymous organisation.”

Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council.

Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council.

Meanwhile, Scarborough Borough Council’s leader has described the announcement as “not a good day for democracy”.

Cllr Steve Siddons, Labour leader of the authority, said he felt the decision from the Government to create the 600,000 plus population unitary authority in North Yorkshire was a “dog’s breakfast”.

He said:

“I am extremely disappointed with this announcement.

“The government appears to have ignored their own criteria and advice and have approved a single countywide unitary that is bigger than any other in the country and far bigger than their recommended maximum size.

“It also leaves York as a unitary much smaller than the government’s minimum size recommendation.

“My prediction is that York will inevitably be swallowed up by this mega county. A dog’s breakfast springs to mind.

“My concern now is that the residents of our borough and the staff of our council get a fair deal moving forward and the promises made by the county council in their proposal, prove better and more effective than some of their services in the past.

“Having a council that is two hours drive from where we live is not my idea of a recipe for good local governance.

“The east/west model, which I supported and has been rejected, met all the criteria set by the government so I can only assume something else was at play when the decision was made.

“I fear this is not a good day for democracy but I hope I am proved wrong.”

Meanwhile, Unison North Yorkshire said it would now work to protect jobs, level up pay and conditions and minimise disruption for its members in the transition to the new council.

It said:

“We will be working with all our councils across North Yorkshire to make sure the transition to one council is as smooth as possible.”

The plans are now subject to Parliamentary approval later in the year.

 

Government chooses single super authority to replace Harrogate council

A single super council looks set to replace Harrogate Borough Council in the biggest shake-up in local government in North Yorkshire since the 1970s.

Government ministers have opted for one unitary council for North Yorkshire, which will see the remaining districts and county council scrapped.

The decision will come as bitter disappointment for those who backed an east//west model for the county, which was proposed by the district councils. Local MP Andrew Jones and Unison Harrogate branch were among those who supported the model.

It follows two models being submitted to government for consideration.

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Both North Yorkshire County Council and the districts submitted opposing plans. The district authorities’ plan would have seen the county split in half with one council in the east and another in the west.

However, the government announced today that its preferred option is a sole council for the entire county with City of York remaining in place.

Ministers said the move followed consultation with residents, businesses and local authorities.

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Local Government, said he had asked local councils to now work “collaboratively and constructively” to establish the new unitary council.

Mr Jenrick said:

“Residents, businesses and service providers in North Yorkshire have had their say on what will work best for their area and now councils can start planning for the next step.

“I have always been clear that any restructuring of local government must be locally-led and will not involve top-down solutions from government.

“These plans will help strengthen local leaderships and ensure residents of North Yorkshire are receiving the consistent high-quality services they deserve.”

In order to establish the council, a draft structural order will be laid before parliament at the turn of the year.

The government said this will include transitional arrangements, including for elections in May 2022 to the new authority.

Currently, North Yorkshire County Council is responsible for services including social care, education and highways, while district and borough councils look after the likes of planning, licensing and bin collections.

Under the unitary authority, those services will be transferred over to the new council.

What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?

Taxpayers in Harrogate look set to fund services from a single council in North Yorkshire.

The government has opted to pick North Yorkshire County Council’s model to replace the two-tier system.

It means that the the new unitary authority will take over services from all of the county’s seven district councils, such as bin collections, council tax and planning.

The City of York Council remains in place. The government has set an aim of getting the new authority up and running by May 2023.

Finances

As part of its devolution bid, North Yorkshire County Council officials commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to help spearhead its submission.

The consultants report showed the new authority will cover 618,000 people and could cost up to £38 million to set up.

However, the authority also predicts that the reorganisation under a single council could benefit the county by between £51 million and £68 million.

For taxpayers, it will mean a change in their annual council tax bill.

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Rather than paying a precept to both the county council and a district authority, the bill will show one council which rates will be paid to.

Elections and councillors

The government already postponed elections for the county council for this year in light of the ongoing reorganisation discussions.

In their submission, county council officials said the current number of 301 councillors was “time consuming”, “resource intensive” and made decision making difficult.

The council’s report has also planned for elections as early as May 2022. An order will go before parliament in the new year with transitional arrangements, including elections for next year.

As a result, it has proposed to work with the Boundary Commission to review new ward boundaries to elect to the council.

NYCC said current boundaries suggest there would be 144 councillors.

The county council has also proposed six area committees, each with around 15 councillors, in line with the constituencies of North Yorkshire’s MPs.

A town council for Harrogate

One of the main aspects of the county council’s plan which has been pushed by both senior councillors and officers alike is the concept of “double devolution”.

The move would offer parish and town councils the chance to take on extra responsibilities, such as running of community centres.

Currently, Scarborough and Harrogate are the only areas without a town or parish council in the county.

County council officials said they would support those areas to set up authorities, if it was what local people wanted.

Assets

As the principle authority for the county, the council will also take on ownership of key assets.

Among these will be the Harrogate Convention Centre, which is currently owned and run by Harrogate Borough Council.

Leisure facilities, which are currently due to be handed over to Brimham’s Active in Harrogate, would also come under the remit of the authority.

However, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, has suggested that some powers to run local assets could be handed back to local areas, if they request it.

 

No final decision on HCC investment until 2022, says council

A final decision on a potential major investment in Harrogate Convention Centre (HCC) is likely to be made next year, council bosses have said.

Harrogate Borough Council outlined plans for a £46.8million project to renovate the centre last July.

Councillors backed a feasibility study ahead of the phased redevelopment of the 40-year-old centre, which will return before the council to approve the investment.

But a council spokesman has said that this final decision is to take place next year when detailed designs and costs will be presented to councillors.

It comes as a major shake-up of local government in North Yorkshire looms, which will see the borough council and the county council scrapped and replaced with either one or two unitary authorities.

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It would mean that control of the convention centre would be handed over to a new council, which the government said it aims to have in place by 2023.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret last week that he was hopeful of an announcement from ministers on which model they preferred before Parliament breaks for recess on July 22.

The Stray Ferret asked the borough council how the potential reorganisation of councils in the county would affect the investment in the HCC.

A spokesman for the council said:

“The proposed reorganisation of local government in North Yorkshire and the investment in Harrogate Convention Centre are two entirely separate things.

“That’s why we are continuing with projects and initiatives such as the redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, the leisure investment strategy, etc. so that we can provide modern, fit-for-purpose facilities that our residents and visitors can be proud of.

“A final decision is yet to be made on the future investment in the convention centre, and this is likely to be next year when more detailed design work and costs will be presented the council.”

Convention centre ‘will not survive’ without investment

Last year, the council said in a report that without the upgrade the convention centre “would not survive”.

The council is proposing to refurbish the conference centre, auditorium and two of the main halls. It also plans to divide the space known as Studio 2 to create “breakout facilities” for up to 1,850 delegates.

Work to upgrade the venue would be carried out over two phases.

Last July, a confidential cabinet paper seen by the Stray Ferret showed that the HCC was forecast to lose £710,000 in 2019/20.

The report said the convention centre’s financial performance had “declined significantly” since 2008/9 and renovation was needed to increase income.

Despite warnings over the state of the venue and the need for investment, businesses and councillors outside of Harrogate were left “dismayed” by the project.

Blueprint to ‘level up’ rural North Yorkshire published today

A panel of experts has today published a series of recommendations to ‘level up’ poor rural areas and attract more young people to the county.

The experts are members of North Yorkshire’s Rural Commission, which was established by North Yorkshire County Council in 2019 to tackle some of the issues confronting the county.

North Yorkshire is England’s largest county. Eighty-five per cent of it is classed as very rural or super-sparse and the population density is five times below the national average.

Although employment is high, earnings are noticeably lower and the county’s workforce significantly less qualified than the national average

A total of 24 per cent of the people not working are retired compared to a national average of 13.6 per cent.

And 20 per cent of North Yorkshire’s rural areas have no broadband connection compared to 7 per cent in urban areas.

Today the commission released what it described as “radical and hard hitting” recommendations to address these issues. Read the full report here.

Ageing population

The commission highlighted the economic challenge of having an ageing population by estimating that if North Yorkshire had the same percentage of young working adults as the national average, the area would be £1.5 billion better off annually. The report says:

“Affordable rural housing must become a reality rather than an aspiration and this will require more houses in rural and remote areas rather than on the edges of market towns.”

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Devolution essential to success

The report also describes devolution as essential for helping to level up the North Yorkshire rural economy

It says central government must ensure additional powers and funding for the devolved authority so it has enough capacity financially to make a difference.

It also calls for the creation of a task force consisting of civil servants, academics, scientists, rural businesses and local communities to advise the devolved authority on implementing the recommendations in this report.

The Very Reverend John Dobson DL, Dean of Ripon and chair of the commission, said:

“The missing generation of younger workers in the county hinders the ability of North Yorkshire to achieve the full potential of an effective economy.

“North Yorkshire needs a strong devolved authority to tackle the problems faced by its rural and remote areas.”

The report describes digital connection as a human right and sets out plans for a mutual bank as a way to invest in sparsely populated areas.

Dean John added:

“We now look to local and national government and many partners and stakeholders to take ownership of these recommendations and make this vision a reality.

“The future of rural communities is at stake.”

 

Devolution decision could be made this month

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has said he is “hopeful” of a government decision on a planned shake-up of local councils this month.

Ministers are currently considering two proposals for the county, both of which would see Harrogate Borough Council and the county council no longer exist.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, described the shake-up as the biggest change in local government in the county since 1974.

The county council’s proposal would see one unitary authority for North Yorkshire, while the district councils’ model would see two authorities operate on an east/west split.

Cllr Les told the Stray Ferret the county was currently “in limbo” and he was hopeful of a decision before parliament goes into recess on July 22.

He said:

“I’m optimistic that the minister will sign up to our model. That is the one that we believe is best for the county.

“I’m hopeful that a decision will be made any time in the next weeks.”

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, invited councils to submit proposals for the reorganisation back in October.

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At the time, the government said any unitary council plan would aim to be established by April 2023

However, the government has yet to announce a decision on which proposal it prefers.

The Stray Ferret asked the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government when it intended to make a decision and what the timetable would be for implementation.

A spokesperson for the department said a final decision on which model to back would be announced “in due course” along with publication of consultation responses.

Harrogate Parish Council could be created after devolution shake-up

Liberal Democrat councillors will next week call for a parish council to be created in Harrogate after Harrogate Borough Council is scrapped.

Cllr Matthew Webber, who represents Harrogate New Park, will table a motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday.

The motion calls for Harrogate Borough Council to “strongly recommend” whatever council succeeds it reviews its governance and considers establishing a parish council for the town.

The motion says:

“That this council strongly recommends to any successor unitary authority in North Yorkshire that a community governance review for the town of Harrogate is initiated and the creation of a parish for the town is considered.”

As part of its devolution agenda, the UK government plans to scrap North Yorkshire’s seven district councils and its county council and replace them with either one or two unitary authorities.

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Currently, Scarborough and Harrogate are the only areas without a town or parish council in the county.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of the county council, said if the authority’s plan to have one council for the entire of North Yorkshire was accepted, it would listen to any proposal.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“It is part of our proposals to offer powers to parish councils should communities request that review.

“It will not be done to them. This will be delegation, not abdication.”

What would a town or parish council do?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided.

Under its plans, the county council has promised further powers for towns and parishes in a move it describes as ‘double devolution’.

The districts’ plan for an east/west model has also pledged to hand further powers to parishes, if they want it.

It would see the councils able to run services and take on additional responsibilities.

Continuing the best-known name in the Harrogate district

There are few better known names in the Harrogate district than Theakston.

Robert Theakston started brewing beer in Masham in 1827 and his great-great grandson Simon continues the tradition today.

Simon is joint managing director of T & R Theakston, one of two major breweries in the picturesque market town. His cousin, Paul, is in charge of the other one — Black Sheep Brewery.

Despite his strong Masham connections, Mr Theakston is well placed to appraise recent developments in the wider Harrogate district: he lives near Boroughbridge, went to school in Harrogate and represented the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council for four terms. He was also chairman of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the agricultural charity that organises the Great Yorkshire Show, from 2008 to 2016.

But nothing in his long career prepared him for the potentially ruinous overnight impact of covid when the first lockdown began in March. He says;

“We had cellars full of beer that people couldn’t buy and ended up pouring it away.

“Overnight we lost 80% of business. That required us to rethink our business model, baton down the hatches and put ourselves in a position where we could survive as long as possible.”

The furlough scheme saved jobs and the company rapidly converted its visitor centre at the brewery into a fulfilment centre for online orders — something a company that prides itself on tradition had not overly pursued until then. He says:

“Online orders have gone up by a factor of 100, albeit from a modest base.”

Family tradition

The visitor centre is due to reopen on June 21 if the lingering restrictions on pubs are lifted. Monday’s decision will be critical for the industry. Mr Theakston, who is married with two grown-up children, says:

“It’s nice having people going into gardens and seated at tables but it’s much better when people can move freely in pubs.”

Nevertheless, so far the company has survived covid with its 35 staff still intact. It seems a surprisingly low number of employees for an organisation that sells into 20 countries but the business model involves collaborating with other firms, such as Heineken, which handles distribution.

Mr Theakston describes the company as “a medium-sized traditional family brewing company.” And, for all the difficulties of the past year, he remains optimistic.

“Our industry has been through difficulties in the past. We’ve come through two world wars, revolution in Europe, the great crash of the 1930s and all sorts of issues since the Second World War and it just goes to show the robustness of what we do.

“As long as individuals want to meet other people, the role of the pub will continue to be the centre of society.”

Local politics

The future for Harrogate Borough Council, however, is less secure. The local authority, on which he represented Harlow Moor until 2018, is set to be abolished as part of the national government’s devolution agenda. Mr Theakston supports the single council model for North Yorkshire championed by North Yorkshire County Council rather than the east-west split favoured by his former council colleagues in Harrogate. He explains:

“North Yorkshire County Council currently provides about 80% of our services so it wouldn’t be a massive change for it to pick up the pieces. I’m not a fan of lots of layers of bureaucracy.”

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Harrogate Borough Council is pursuing numerous active travel plans, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project and the pedestrianisation of James Street, to reduce traffic and encourage people to walk and cycle. The plans have proved controversial — does he support them?

“I don’t want to see Harrogate being completely pedestrianised because it will end up like any other town in the country. The idea of being able to pop into town is appealing to people like the elderly. Let’s have a bit of pedestrianisation but not lose the ability to drive into town.

“Harrogate’s such a special town and everything we did during my time on the council was to maintain it as special.”

It has been a difficult year for another organisation close to Mr Theakston’s heart — Yorkshire Agricultural Society — which decided to proceed with the Great Yorkshire Show next month when many other events have been cancelled. Was he surprised?

“The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is nothing if not pragmatic. They will be responding to the demands of exhibitions and members of the public who want to go. It’s more than an agricultural show — it’s our county show.”

Crime and cricket

The Theakston name has also become synonymous with the annual crime writing festival organised by the arts charity Harrogate International Festivals. Under its sponsorship, the festival brings many of the leading names of the genre to the town each year.

Arts and brewing may seem an unlikely match but Mr Theakston talks of beer “providing the social lubricant that lets people enjoy being with other people” and the ventures the company supports also encourage people to mingle convivially.

Recently it has also sponsored poet Ben Taylor, also known as Yorkshire Prose, to wax lyrical about the a pint being a metaphor for social interaction.

Mr Theakston is a huge cricket lover so it’s perhaps no coincidence his company sponsors the Nidderdale Amateur Cricket League and the annual National Village Cup in which some 340 villages compete for the chance to play in the final at Lord’s.

It’s little wonder the name Theakston perhaps vies with Bettys as the most well known in the district — and at least we know for certain the Theakstons exist.

There was a time when its familiarity may have faded. The family relinquished control of the business in the 1990s before buying it back in 2003, and Mr Theakston pledges it will remain in the family, in the heart of Masham.

Can he foresee the day when the business no longer consumes his professional life?

“I haven’t thought too much about when I retire. It’s still a huge passion.”

Taxpayers foot £330,000 bill for councils’ consultancy fees

North Yorkshire councils facing reorganisation have spent almost £330,000 of taxpayers’ cash on consultants to help fight their corner on the future of key services, it’s been revealed.

A government-run consultation on the reorganisation plans, which will see Harrogate Borough Council abolished, has this week come to a close.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is set to make a decision this summer on whether a single authority for all of the county or two bodies split on an east/west basis should replace the current two-tier system.

People in the Harrogate district currently pay for services provided by Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

The aim is to save money by bringing all council services including highways, planning and education under the control of a streamlined structure, but leaders are deeply divided and can not agree how to go about it.

It has meant the seven district councils – including Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby, Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale and Richmondshire – have spent around £240,000 on consultants in support of their joint east/west bid, although Hambleton has since pulled out.

North Yorkshire County Council has used just under £90,000 for its single authority proposal.

Councillor Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“This was an extensive piece of work requiring professional input, public consultation and modelling. The costs of the work were shared between all the district councils in North Yorkshire and represent a tiny fraction of our overall budgets.

“Looking after the elderly, children with exceptional needs, the homeless and those least fortunate in our society isn’t something we can leave to chance.

“That is why it was important for all seven councils to contribute to make sure we got this right. And we have.”

But the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council has criticised the almost £330,000 spends from all councils, saying public cash has been “wasted” on “Tory infighting”.

Group leader councillor Pat Marsh said:

“Many people will see this as their own political interests, rather than giving much-needed investment to our local services.”

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Councillor Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“The reason we have used consultants is because we are talking about very big proposals which involve a lot of money.

“The county council has a budget of over half a billion pounds and if you add in another £100m on top of that from the districts, there is a need to make sure our assumptions are correct.

“We wanted to be sure our plans are solid as they can possibly be, and they are.”

Process complete by April 2023

North Yorkshire County Council used consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, while the districts employed the services of KPMG .

They each produced lengthy reports on how services should be managed and public cash spent under the reorganisation plans, which are linked to a potential multi-billion pound devolution deal with the government.

City of York Council, which wants to remain a unitary council under the county bid, did not use any consultants as part of the process but did spend £6,400 on an agency firm, as well as £5,500 on a market research organisation to conduct polling.

Elections for county councillors are being held across England next month but not in North Yorkshire due to the reorganisation plans.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, it is expected that any new North Yorkshire unitary council or councils would be fully operational from April 2023, with transitional arrangements and elections to the new structure set to take place in 2022.

Call for voting system change ahead of councils shake-up

Campaigners in North Yorkshire are calling for a change to the voting system ahead of a shake-up of local government.

Make Votes Matter, a national pressure group that campaigns to abolish first-past-the-post voting, said the forthcoming overhaul of councils would be an “ideal opportunity” to alter the system.

The Government is currently consulting on the biggest change to local councils in the county since 1974.

It has proposals to scrap North Yorkshire County Council and the seven districts and replace them with either one or two new councils.

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Louise Mauborgne, spokesperson for the North Yorkshire group of Make Votes Matter, said the current voting system was unfair.

She added that elections for the new county authorities would be better with proportional representation or single transferable vote.

Ms Mauborgne said:

“First past the post means huge numbers of votes don’t count. Forty three per cent voted Conservative in 2019; what happened to the rest of the votes? Nothing.

“The unfair voting system means often people do not bother to vote because they think their vote will not mean anything.

“It can also lead to a lack of trust in authority and disengagement with national or local government. Votes are cast in protest or tactically rather than honestly for policies they really want.”

Voters could be heading to the ballot box as early as May 2023, under the new local government make-up in the county.

The government’s consultation on the reorganisation closes on Monday April 19. You can have your say here.