The Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council last night walked out of a special meeting on local government reorganisation, branding it a “waste of time and money”.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Lib Dems, said she “could not genuinely understand” why the virtual meeting called to submit a consultation response on how the future of North Yorkshire councils should take shape was needed as the authority had already made an official bid five months ago.

All seven Lib Dem councillors left the meeting halfway through in what the Conservatives described as a “stunt” – with council leader Richard Cooper accusing them of a “total abdication” of their responsibilities as councillors.

He said:

“I do not think when you are elected, walking out is a very constructive move – that is not what the public elected you for

“Stepping away from the debate, stepping away from the consultation and stepping away from the discussion when you are elected to have that discussion on behalf of your constituents is a total abdication of the responsibilities placed on councillors.

“I find it astonishing that this debate about the future of services for people has been reduced to a stunt – and not a very effective stunt at that.”

The government-run consultation follows an announcement last summer that North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils will be replaced by a unitary structure in order for the county to unlock a devolution deal.

Harrogate Borough Council – along with six other districts – has submitted a bid for two unitary councils split on an east/west basis, while North Yorkshire County Council is behind proposals for a single authority for the entire county.

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Speaking last night, councillor Pat Marsh said the meeting was not only a “waste of time” but also a “waste of public money” as the districts have already spent more than £200,000 on consultancy company KPMG to produce a report making their case to the government.

She said:

“Back on 4 November 2020, this council made a decision to submit to the government an east/west model. So why are we here tonight being consulted on something we have already made a decision about?

“This meeting is not only a waste of time but a waste of public money. The KPMG report that this council paid for made the points the council wanted to make and no matter what is said tonight the responses will not change.”

It was agreed last night that the council would submit two responses to the consultation – one in support of the east/west model and one opposing the single council bid.

A final decision on which path to take will be made by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick this summer and subject to Parliamentary approval.

It is expected that any new unitary council would be fully operational from April 2023 with transitional arrangements and elections expected to be in place in 2022.

The consultation is open to anyone and will run until 19 April.

To have your say visit here.

Two campaigns over the future of local government in Harrogate and North Yorkshire have ramped up this week.

Ministers launched a consultation on two models which have been proposed to replace the county’s two-tier council system.

It would see Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the remaining six districts scrapped.

Now, both the county council and districts are trying to get support for their models.

County model “key to devolution”

Earlier this week, the county council called journalists to a press conference on its model for local government reorganisation.

Both Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, and Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council, defended the choice of a single council in the county while keeping York in tact.

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Cllr Les said it was “key to unlocking devolution in the county” and that the authority was best placed to run services.

He said:

“The reason for doing this is to remove an inefficient and costly way of working. It will make things better and less confusing for the people we serve.

“If that was not enough reason, there is also a devolution deal that is worth millions of pounds every year to the City of York and to North Yorkshire.”

County council officials brought in accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to help draw up the model. It would cover 618,000 residents.

Officials said the move could save up to £68.5 million per year after the unitary council is created.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said it would also offer the chance for places like Harrogate to have its own town council.

He added that the new authority would offer “double devolution” to those town and parishes, which would mean they could run local assets, libraries and services such as licensing.

‘Businesses support east\west split’

Ahead of the launch of the consultation, district council leaders said that hundreds of businesses backed their model.

The six councils have proposed an east/west split with two councils covering the county. It would see the City of York absorbed into an eastern authority.

The district councils’ proposal for an east/west model as outlined in its report.

Officials brought in consultants KPMG to carry out research and draw up an options appraisal before settling on an east/west split.

It would see Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton join together to form a unitary council in the West, with a population of 363,000, and Selby, City of York, Ryedale and Scarborough join together to form a unitary council in the East, with a population of 465,000. 

More than 100 businesses have written letters of support for their model, including company owners from Harrogate and Skipton.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, speaking on behalf of the council leaders, said at the time: 

“Our east and west model will help drive recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and build a better economic future for the whole area. It is the only proposal that delivers two equal partners to sit within a mayoral combined authority – which is important for the success of devolution.”

Council leaders behind the models have maintained that the county’s proposal is too big and would amount to a “mega council”.

In a report on their model, district officials said they would create eight “locality committees” which would “keep decision making and delivery local and responsive to our diverse areas”.

Consultation over councils future

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, launched a consultation on the future of local councils in the county on Monday.

The consultation seeks the views of businesses and the public on both models proposed for North Yorkshire.

Mr Jenrick said he would make a decision on which, if any, proposal to approve following the consultation.

The consultation will last until April 19. Residents and businesses can give their views on the proposals here.

Ripon councillors have rejected new lease terms being offered for the city’s historic town hall.

The hall and other heritage assets were transferred into the ownership of Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) in 1974.

However, there has been no lease in place on the building for many years.

Elected members want to secure the council’s long-term tenure ahead of devolution- the biggest shake-up in local government for more than 45 years.

In addition, they are seeking to negotiate a long-term lease for Market Square South, which they say is an under-utilised public space.

Councillors say Market Square South will remain an under-utilised city asset if restrictive lease terms are applied to its use.

HBC is proposing that, as part of the service charge element of a two-year lease, Ripon City Council accepts part responsibility for the maintenance of the building.

City council leader Andrew Williams told a virtual full-council meeting

“Accepting such terms would land us with an open-ended liability.

“The Council is not in a position to accept financial responsibility for maintenance that could include large-scale works, such as repair or even replacement of the town hall roof.

“No commercial business tenant would accept such a liability and we will not accept it because of the potential financial ramifications for council precept payers.”

The meeting was also told that the current draft lease includes a clause which says HBC only has to give two week’s notice, if it wishes to stage an event on Market Square South.

This space is approximately half of the total area of Market Square and Cllr Williams, said:

“If Harrogate Borough Council has this preferential use, the city will be unable to do long-term planning for events on this half of the square.”

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An HBC spokesman said:

“The lease of Ripon Town Hall is still being discussed between the tenant (Ripon City Council) and the landlord (Harrogate Borough Council). Therefore we have nothing to add.”

Councillors voted unanimously to set up a working group to handle negotiations with HBC officers.

More than 100 businesses in North Yorkshire have backed an east/west model to replace the current two-tier council system in the county.

The proposal has been submitted to government by the six district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, as part of reorganisation plans.

It would see Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton join together to form a unitary council in the West, with a population of 363,000, and Selby, City of York, Ryedale and Scarborough join together to form a unitary council in the East, with a population of 465,000. 

A rival model, submitted by North Yorkshire County Council and City of York, would see one unitary council for North Yorkshire with the York authority remaining in place.

Read more:

• Devolution: What would you do if you were mayor?
• 5 lessons to learn from devolution in Tees Valley
• £2 billion devolution negotiations kickstart as councils submit proposals

The government has told councils it will go to consultation on local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and York this month.

Now, more than 100 businesses have written letters of support and backed the east/west proposal.

Among them is Kevin Towers, MCEO of Techbuyer which is based in Harrogate.

He said:

“We are a high growth employer, planning to add another 100 jobs in the next three years. We believe the east and west model will offer many advantages to local communities and the business sector. 

“It will enable more place-based local government and joined-up thinking on planning, transport and development that will help promote and support sustainable growth. Our experience of developing new business units in a number of different countries suggests that this is the best route to success.”

Meanwhile, Alan Cutler, deputy managing director of The PEEL Entertainment Group, based in Skipton, said: 

“Two equally balanced unitary authorities in the east and west will help maintain close connections between local government and businesses. 

“Looking further forward to devolution, the east and west model would create a balanced combined authority, which will be more effective in delivering levelling-up and clean growth, attracting and retaining a younger workforce and expanding our strong skills base.”

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, speaking on behalf of the council leaders, said: 

“Our east and west model will help drive recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and build a better economic future for the whole area. It is the only proposal that delivers two equal partners to sit within a mayoral combined authority – which is important for the success of devolution.”

County plan would “cut through red tape”

Meanwhile, the county council has said its plan would help to support businesses across North Yorkshire.

In its plans, it said companies would “only ever need to deal with one council” and make the council more accountable.

It said:

“Businesses would only ever need to deal with one council. It would mean an end to having to deal with several councils with different roles and policies.

“It would be business-friendly and streamlined, with strong local services and systems – the same for businesses in Skipton as for those in Scarborough – and a single organisation responsible for economic development, housing, planning, highways, trading standards and other essential services.

“To ensure that there are decision-making powers on a local level, a single authority for North Yorkshire would work closely with parish and town councils, enabling them to run services, where they wanted to, that we would fund. We would put in place new ways of working with communities, understanding the issues and driving the change that is needed.

“The clarity of one council working for the public and businesses will make that council more accountable.”

Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough, added in an open letter that devolution was “essential in attracting investment, supporting business and protecting and creating jobs as we rebuild our bruised communities”.

He said the county council’s model would provide “strength, scale and experience” for North Yorkshire.

Mr Goodwill said:

“This way you would replace the current wasteful and confusing two-tier system of local government and create one council for the entire county working in partnership with the City of York to create a devolved authority under an elected mayor. It would be a powerful voice in the North.”

North Yorkshire and York council leaders have kick-started negotiations over a £2.4 billion devolution deal with government after submitting proposals.

Authority bosses in the county have formally tabled a list of “asks” to government which outline billions of pounds worth of spending power in areas like transport, housing and skills.

The deal, should it be agreed, would also see a directly elected mayor for the county.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that council leaders agreed to submit the requests, but without support from Hambleton District Council.

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Hambleton had previously refused to support the proposals until a government white paper on devolution was published. However, the paper has yet to be published by ministers.

But, Cllr Les said councils could not longer delay submitting the proposals.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council. Picture: North Yorkshire County Council.

He said:

“The leaders decided that they were going to submit without unanimous agreement.

“Every day we delay on the asks, we delay on the negotiations of the asks. It would have been better with an unanimous decision, but it was best we got a majority.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the government was considering the proposals and would respond “in due course”.

The “asks” document is intended to start negotiations with government over what the county wants from a devolution deal. It is separate from the proposals for local government reorganisation and how the new authority or authorities would be structured.

It comes as ministers made it a requirement for councils who want devolved powers to scrap the two tier system in their areas.

£2 billion in spending power

Following initial discussions with ministers in in early 2020, council bosses have written up a 140-page document which outlines £2.4 billion worth of spending and proposals to take back further powers from Westminster.

More powers over transport, skills, regeneration and energy are included in the submission, as well as a mayoral funding pot worth £750 million over 25 years.

Further funding proposals include a five-year transport settlement worth £250 million, £520 million of devolved funding for fibre connectivity, and a £230 million fund for the new mayor to share between the county’s towns.

A directly elected mayor, who would have powers over areas such as transport planning, transport budget and bus franchising, is also included in the proposals.

What happens now?

Council leaders will now discuss the proposals for more spending and powers with ministers from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Treasury.

A deal will then be put forward by the government at a later date. This will go back before councils to be agreed.

The director of health and adult services for North Yorkshire has resigned his role as a trustee of Harrogate International Festivals because of a conflict over devolution.

The Festivals put its support behind the east/west model for two unitary authorities in North Yorkshire, as advocated by the seven district councils including Harrogate Borough Council.

However, Mr Webb’s employer, North Yorkshire County Council, favours a single unitary authority for the county, causing him to stand down from his role as a trustee. Following his resignation, Mr Webb said:

“I resigned as a trustee of Harrogate International Festivals following a board decision to support the east/west local government re-organisation bid by district councils.

“Whilst I am personally a strong supporter of the county council’s bid for unitary status, and believe it is the best way forward, the reason for my resignation from the festivals board was to ensure I avoided a conflict of interest.

“I absented myself from the board discussion on local government re-organisation, so that any conflict was avoided and I resigned once the decision had been taken. I had a series of constructive discussions with Fiona Movley, the chair of the Festivals, and we were both clear that there was no alternative course of action that I could have taken.

“Harrogate International Festivals does a great job and I wish them well for the future.”

Paying tribute to Mr Webb for his long-standing commitment to the festivals, CEO Sharon Canavar said:

Harrogate International Festivals’ board includes an observer from Harrogate Borough Council. Its patron is HRH the Prince of Wales.

Both CEO Sharon Canavar and chairman Fiona Movley added their names and comments to the document in support of the district councils’ proposals.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Webb and North Yorkshire County Council for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

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It is not the first time the document has caused conflict because of the names attached to it.

Other organisations to have been included North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward and Chief Fire Officer Andrew Brodie of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Both were quoted as saying they supported the east/west model for two unitary authorities.

However, a joint statement from both was issued by the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner this week. It said:

“There has been disappointing and incorrect representing of our positions – and it is therefore only right and fair that we have the opportunity to clearly set out our position.

“We lead two of the emergency services which operate across North Yorkshire and the city of York – and work best when we work together across that area. The strength of this approach has been demonstrated throughout this year in our collaborative response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The ultimate decision about which model we may operate under in the future is not for us to take – this is a political decision. Our ongoing priority, whatever the outcome of the current debate, is to continue keeping the residents, businesses and visitors in North Yorkshire and York safe.

A political row has broken out after Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper criticised the credibility of the local Liberal Democrats’ petitions.

Mr Cooper claimed two of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats’ petitions were never handed into the council and therefore had no impact on any decision making.

The Lib Dems group has hit back, saying these claims are “ridiculous” and “laughable”.

The group has confirmed neither petition was submitted but said the impact of the signatures was still apparent.

It said the Conyngham Hall petition wasn’t submitted because the group was told the decision was “years away” so it decided to continue building momentum.

Matt Walker, the ‘Hands of Conyngham Hall’ campaign spokesperson said:

“With the petition still gathering momentum, why would we have handed it in so soon? But then, without any notice – ‘years’ ahead of schedule – the council decided to announce a preferred option.”

The Lib Dems set up its petition to save Conyngham Hall from development.

“Every person who signed it thought they were supporting a local campaign but all that happened was that their contact details were taken electronically.”

One of North Yorkshire’s most senior councillors has ruled himself out of standing for mayor in the county after devolution.

Cllr Carl Les, 71, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret the position required a younger, energetic politician to bat for the county and lobby Westminster.

A key player in driving the county towards devolution and shaking up the structure of local government, Cllr Les said he hoped government would return with its preferred council model early in the new year.

In a wide-ranging interview, he stressed the need for investment in the county and his frustration at the delay in kickstarting negotiations with government over more powers.

“Every week that we delay putting to government is a weeks delay in getting the investment of the asks.

“We are falling behind in capital investment in this region.”

Shake-up of North Yorkshire’s councils

The biggest restructure of local government in the county since 1974 should take a further step in the New Year, Cllr Les hopes.

North Yorkshire County Council submitted its plan for a single council last Friday, while district leaders have tabled an alternative.

It means the ball is rolling and spells the end for the county’s seven district authorities and county council.

Read more:

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Cllr Les said the government hopes to come back to the county with its preferred option early in the New Year, before it embarks on a 10-week consultation.

Creating a new authority is a prerequisite to devolving power from Westminster, ministers told council bosses earlier this year.

Cllr Les said both devolution and scrapping of the two-tier system go hand-in-hand. It remains the case that the government wants a single tier council before it offers a directly elected mayor and more cash. He said:

“I have not been told that that has changed.”

Frustrations over devolution

Before the county can receive any powers over such things as transport and housing, it has to submit a list of requests.

Known as the devolution “asks”, it kickstarts the negotiations between council leaders and ministers over a devolution deal.

The 140-page document, agreed by seven out of the nine councils so far, outlines £2 billion worth of spending power for the county.

But both Ryedale and Hambleton have yet to agree to table the plan to ministers.

While it does not technically require every council to agree, council leaders wanted each authority to support the bid. Cllr Les said the lack of consensus was frustrating.

“Every week that we delay putting to government is a week’s delay in getting the investment of the asks.

“We are falling behind in capital investment in this region and there will have to be a frank discussion on how long we can wait.

“The really frustrating thing is that we can understand someone’s reticence to sign onto something as a last chance, but this is only the start. There will be opportunities later in the process.

“Let’s just get on with it, we cannot just carry on dropping behind just because some people have reticence about it.”

No appetite to be mayor

While Cllr Les has pressed leaders on the need for devolved powers, he has no intention of stepping into the role of elected mayor that comes with it.

Despite being leader of the county council for five years, he said the role needs someone “energetic”.

He pointed to Ben Houchen, the 33-year-old Conservative mayor of Tees Valley, as an example.

At 71, Cllr Les said he felt he was capable of carrying out his current duties but not a new role as mayor.

He said:

“I have no intention of putting my name forward.

“You need a lot of energy to be leader of the council, but I know that I can carry off my responsibilities.

“You would need to be very energetic to take on that role.”

While he may not be interested in becoming mayor, he said he will consider standing as councillor on the potential new authority in the county.

Cllr Les said it is possible that he will be the last leader of the county council, but added it was too early to tell if he would be part of a new authority.

“I will reflect on it nearer to the time. Let’s take things one step at a time.”

North Yorkshire County Council has agreed to submit plans to create a new single local authority for the county to ministers.

County councillors voted for the move today, signalling the start of the biggest shake-up of local government in North Yorkshire for decades.

However, the seven district and borough councils will also vote on submitting alternative proposals to ministers.

At the county council’s meeting this morning, 57 councillors voted in favour of submitting the bid and 11 against.

It included “dual hatted” councillors, who sit on both district and the county councils, who will also vote on the districts’ proposal for an east/west model.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for local government, will decide on the government’s preferred option.

Whichever proposal he chooses, it will result in both the county council and the district and borough councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, being scrapped and replaced by one or more single-tier authority.

‘Momentous decision’

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said the proposal for one council, which would cover 618,000 people, was among the most “momentous decisions” the authority has made.

He said the government regarded devolution as part of its plan for recovery from the covid pandemic.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

Cllr Les said:

“The government sees two parts to covid. Firstly contain and secondly recovery.

“They see devolution and local government reform as key parts of that recovery process and delivering the levelling up agenda.

“This is so the right time to do this and to get prepared for future challenges.”

He added that there would be “no criticism” of other models and that it would be for ministers to decide the best proposal for the county.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire devolution: what happens now?
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The proposal has received support from City of York Council, which would remain as a unitary authority under the plan.

But opposition councillors on the county council opposed the move.

Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the North Yorkshire independents group, said it was not “the right time” for local government reform.

He said:

“I think central government needs to get to grips with what is going on in our country rather than rearranging deck chairs.”

Cllr Eric Broadbent, leader of the Labour group, said creating a single authority for the county would be “a step too far”.

£38 million cost of shake-up

In its outline plan, the county council said reorganisation of councils in the county could cost up to £38 million.

Consultants Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s report on the plans revealed that setting up a single authority will cost between £18 million and £38 million.

However, the authority also predicts savings of up to £252 million over five years, equivalent to £50.4 million per year.

The district councils ware set to submit an east/west model as a counter proposal to the county council.

Harrogate Borough Council will vote on the plan this evening.

Ministers have set a deadline of December 9 for full proposals to be submitted.

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.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

Cllr Les said:

“We propose a revolution in empowering residents and businesses with the voice and resources they need to secure what matters to them. Our bid sets out how 25 community networks would enable this change. We are also working in partnership with town and parish councils to further devolve power and resources to some community services and assets, to better suit local people.

“To ensure the public can access local advice and services in person and online, our proposal includes providing offices in every district alongside more than 30 access points. It also preserves the very many local delivery hubs we already have in place.”

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.

Read more:

• North Yorkshire devolution: what happens now?
• York to back county council’s single authority plan

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.