Andrew Jones MP enters devolution debate

Local government minister Simon Clarke has sidestepped a request by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones to state the minimum population size for a new unitary authority.

Mr Jones submitted a written question asking what the minimum size should be to achieve value for money and quality service delivery.

But Mr Clarke’s response did not give a figure. He said:

“Whilst traditionally various population ranges for unitary councils have been referred to, where a unitary council is proposed its particular circumstances need to be considered when assessing whether its population would be appropriate.”

Mr Clarke added the government’s devolution and local recovery white paper, due to be published this autumn, would provide more details.

‘Too big and remote’

Population size is a critical issue in the ongoing devolution debate in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed creating one large authority that would serve all 610,000 people in the county besides York, which would remain a separate unitary authority.

The seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, have put forward an alternative east / west model that would result in two smaller authorities.

Read more:

The district councils claim the county council’s model is too big and remote and their alternative suggestion would lead to more responsive local government.

In June, Mr Clarke said the size of unitary authorities “depended on local circumstances but as a rule of thumb are expected to be substantially in excess of 300,000 to 400,000”.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he was satisfied with Mr Clarke’s response and his view on the best devolution model for North Yorkshire but he had not replied by the time of publication.

Councils clash over local government shake-up plans

Council bosses have clashed over proposals for how North Yorkshire’s local councils should be organised in future as each looks to sell its vision to the public.

Last night, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, and Cllr Richard Cooper, Harrogate Borough Council leader, along with chief executives of both authorities, addressed a virtual meeting of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce over the issue.

While both camps said they agreed that the county needed devolved powers, they differed over how to reorganise local government – which is a requirement from ministers to negotiate for devolution. The county council wants one single authority to govern the county, while the seven district leaders have outlined plans for two councils, splitting the county between east and west.

Cllr Cooper – who also sits on the county council – was critical of the county council’s existing services, saying he had been forced to go and pull weeds out of the road on Commercial Street himself because the authority had failed to do so. Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said he would not be drawn into a “tit for tat” argument with the borough council, but pointed out that any restructure would create a completely new authority, rather than a continuation of the existing county council.

Read more:

He presented the authority’s case for a single council for the whole region except the City of York, which will remain as it is.

Mr Flinton argued that the proposal would not be centralised and would allow for more local powers through local action groups and devolving further powers to town and parish councils.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, made the authority’s case for a single council last night.

He added that the single council, which would cover 610,000 residents, would also save the most money at around £25 million a year, and serve rural areas better.

Mr Flinton said:

“What we need is a single service to deliver for those areas and to carry the cost of delivering in rural areas.

“We believe that the model we are putting forward will deliver more savings. I suspect that will be a dispute with the districts.”

The county council is working with PricewaterhouseCooper on its plans and Mr Flinton said the savings figure could change “once that piece of work is done”.

He added that a single council for a large county was “not unique” and had already been replicated elsewhere in Durham and Cornwall where districts have been scrapped in favour of one authority.

But Cllr Cooper, who has joined the six other district councils in devising an alternative proposal, said a single council alongside York would cause “disharmony and disfunction” in the new structure.

Both Cllr Cooper and Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, said there would be an “imbalance” in the county council’s plan. Mr Sampson said there needed to be “parity” between the two councils in the new structure.

Addressing the county council’s proposal, Mr Sampson said:

“There is a feeling that what is being proposed is a single model. There will be two authorities, but you will have one large and a relatively smaller York.

“We do not think that is good governance moving forward.”

Instead, the districts have proposed two councils – one in the east covering 465,000 people and another in the west which would cover 363,000.

Mr Sampson said the model would focus on being “as local as possible” and would have shared services across the two authorities. He added that the model, which has been devised between the district councils and KPMG, would save between £33 million and £53 million.

He said some services in York could be improved by joining with other councils into an east authority and that Harrogate would be better off economically under the district model.

It comes as government minsters have made a reduction in the number of councils in North Yorkshire a requirement of any devolution bid.

Councils across the county are currently in the process of agreeing a list of “asks” to submit to ministers, which propose £2 billion worth of investment as part of a devolution bid.

Just 22 people tune into district’s first devolution event

Just 22 people tuned into the first public engagement event about the future of local government held by the seven district councils in North Yorkshire.

The seven councils are staging a series of online events on Zoom for the public to find out more about their proposed east/west model for a restructure of local government.

The government is keen to extend devolution but in July ministers made it a requirement to reduce the number of councils before it could happen.

The district councils want an east/west model but North Yorkshire County Council would prefer a single unitary authority.

Among the 22 online for the event were Keane Duncan, the leader of Ryedale District Council and members of the public. Further events will be held this month specifically aimed at businesses and community groups.

Read more:

Cllr Duncan gave a presentation and answered residents’ concerns about issues such as the future of highways, children’s services, adult social care and libraries, which are currently run by NYCC.

Cllr Duncan said the model proposed by the districts would bring services “closer to people”, have stronger democratic representation and have scope for shared services between the two councils.

Under the district councils’ plans, the west authority would serve Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire while the east would cover York, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.

The west authority would cover 363,000 residents and the east authority would cover 465,000 people.

Officials said this would meet the threshold of around 400,000 set by Simon Clarke, local government minister, back in July.

Cllr Duncan said the plan would save £56 million a year and meet the government’s requirements for the restructure.

He said:

“This is the only one that ticks the boxes of government.

“We do feel that this model can deliver services more closer to people.”

NYCC’s alternative proposal for a single authority, alongside City of York, would cover 610,000 residents.

Last week, the county council revealed a “double devolution” model under its proposal which would see town and parishes councils receive more funding and powers.

Harrogate Chief Exec and Leader criticised for not divulging key information ahead of major vote

The Chief Executive and Leader of Harrogate Borough Council had both been told that the council could be scrapped as part of the government’s wider devolution plans the day before a big vote on the shake up of leisure services – yet failed to make councillors aware of it.

Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the overview and scrutiny board, told the Stray Ferret he and fellow councillors should have been told about the government’s position on devolution before they agreed to support the leisure project.

He and fellow councillors voted on July 8 to spend £300,000 on creating a new company called Brimhams Active to run leisure facilities in the Harrogate district. They also voted to borrow £26 million to invest in centres in the district.

But they had not been informed council leader Richard Cooper and chief executive Wallace Sampson, along with other local authority leaders had met local government minister Simon Clarke the previous day.

Mr Clarke told the leaders that any devolution bid would be dependent on a reduction in the number of councils, which could ultimately lead to HBC being replaced.

Cllr Aldred said councillors should have known about this when they made such a key financial decision.

But he said they were not told about the outcome of the Clarke meeting until late at night on July 9.

Read more:

Cllr Aldred, a Liberal Democrat, told the Stray Ferret:

“Surely this should have been disclosed at that meeting and not revealed to councillors in a late night e-mail the day after that decision on the local authority control company was taken? 

“Didn’t the 39 other councillors have the right to know this fundamental fact, prior to casting their vote that night?”

A spokesman for HBC said the two issues were entirely separate and it will take several years before services can be fully integrated once a local government structure is agreed.

The spokesman said:

“The reorganisation of local government in North Yorkshire and the creation of a new local authority controlled company to run sport and leisure services in the Harrogate district are two, entirely separate, issues.

“One is not dependent on the other.

“Once agreement has been reached on a future structure for local government for the county, it will take several years before services are fully integrated and teams brought together.

“That’s why we are continuing with projects and initiatives such as the redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, the leisure investment strategy and creating Brimhams Active as our local authority controlled company.

“Operating our sport and leisure services through a local authority controlled company will save money in the long run and enable us to support our critical council services.”

Brimhams Active, a local authority controlled company, will run 11 leisure facilities in the district.

HBC is proceeding with several costly projects despite uncertainty over its future.

It is spending £1 million on consultants to draw up plans for a £47 million renovation of Harrogate Convention Centre.

But the decision to reduce the number of councils across the county as part of the government’s devolution agenda has thrown the future of public services into uncertainty.

Both district and county leaders are expected to propose different models to ministers this month.

It could see the seven district councils, including Harrogate, scrapped and replaced by one or two super-authorities.

District officials are already consulting with residents and have proposed that an east/west council organisation should replace the current structure.

People urged to have say on North Yorkshire council reorganisation

District council leaders have urged people in North Yorkshire to have their say on the future of local government and public services in the county.

It comes amid government plans to reduce the number of local councils in England as part of its devolution agenda.

County council and district council bosses in North Yorkshire will this month submit separate proposals on how they want to see local government look.

County council bosses want one unitary authority, which would see the seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, scrapped.

Read more:

But district council leaders have said two authorities – one in the east and another in the west of the county – would work better and claim such a model would save up to £56 million a year.

The west authority would serve Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire, while the east would cover York, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.

Now the district councils have invited residents and businesses to have their say on the topic at a series of virtual engagement events, beginning tomorrow.

Speaking on behalf of the seven council leaders, Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council, said:

“The reorganisation of local government services may not sound like the most exciting thing on earth, but the reality is that it will affect everybody who lives, works or runs a business in North Yorkshire and York.

“It is not only about how your everyday services will be delivered in the future, it is about the ability of communities to shape the future of where they live, and determine how we can bring new investment, jobs and growth to our region. That’s why it is so important that people have their say.”

The move comes as the PR war over the future of local government is set to heat up this month ahead of a deadline for proposals to be submitted to government.

The trade union Unison, Mayor of Tees Valley Ben Houchen and Terry Collins, the chief executive of Durham County Council are among those who have spoken out recently.

To find out more on the series of engagement events being held by the district councils, click here.

Debate over North Yorkshire devolution to ramp up in September

A month of battles over how devolution should look, whether district councils should be scrapped and what benefits a bid would bring to York and North Yorkshire, awaits residents in September.

As the process for grappling back powers from Westminster takes further steps forward, so too does the relentless battle to get each side of the argument out onto the airwaves and in the press.

So far, the battle has been solely on council reorganisation as the districts pitted themselves against the county council and its plan for a single unitary authority.

Ministers set a deadline for proposals from council leaders for a shake-up of local government to be submitted by September.

The latest in the PR war came from outside both camps as the County Council Network released a report which said scrapping upper-tier councils and replacing them with one authority in each area could save £2.94 billion nationally over five years.

Read more:

But the districts will have their own consultants’ report in the shape of KPMG which could soon be used to bat the claims back.

Ahead of a busy month, both sides will make their case on September 7 when Cllr Carl Les, county council leader, and borough council leader Cllr Richard Cooper, are set to speak at a Harrogate Chamber of Commerce meeting on the topic.

They’ll be joined by chief executives from both authorities – Richard Flinton from the county council and Wallace Sampson of the borough council.

But, while the debate rages on about council reorganisation, others from outside the county and from other organisations have sought to argue for and against the bigger picture.

Arguments on the bigger picture for devolution

Across the county border into the Tees Valley, residents already have devolution and with it an elected mayor, Ben Houchen.

As previously reported, county council leaders routinely cite Mr Houchen and the region as the closest example of what they desire from devolved powers.

Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen.

Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen. Picture credit: Thames Valley Combined Authority.

This week, Mr Houchen weighed in on the debate in North Yorkshire and called on the county not to be left behind in wrestling powers back from ministers.

He said: 

“North Yorkshire is at a critical crossroads at a key moment.  As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the need to deliver economic growth, create good quality jobs and boost skills has never been more important. We need to take every opportunity to bridge the economic gap between north and south and provide fairer opportunities for all.

“A strong mayor working across the border with the Tees Valley would undoubtedly help me to make the case for the north and ensure it punches its weight nationally and internationally.

“This all starts, though, with a strong devolution deal and York and North Yorkshire must not miss the moment and risk getting left behind.

“I sincerely hope that councils across York and North Yorkshire will seize this moment and make sure that all proposals for the future local government in the county are given due consideration by the government without delay. The Tees Valley benefitted from its councils coming together and getting its devolution deal over the line while other areas found reasons to disagree, now North Yorkshire has a similar choice.”

Elsewhere, the effect of devolution and what it will mean for those that work in local government has not gone unnoticed.

Unison branches across local government in North Yorkshire have called for a “jobs first” deal which will protect jobs and redundancies, level up pay and conditions and minimise disruption to staff and services.

Wendy Nichols, regional convenor for Unison, said: 

“Our members are busy delivering essential public services and supporting the response to the covid-19 emergency. Local government reorganisation is the last thing that they need now.

“However, we are pragmatic and we recognise that the government’s intentions are clear. 

“They want a unitary system of local government from April 2022 and our focus across all our local government branches in North Yorkshire will be to secure the best outcome for our members and the communities they serve.”

Harrogate council backs £2bn devolution proposals

Harrogate Borough Council is to press ahead and support a list of devolution proposals, which includes £2 billion worth of spending power for York and North Yorkshire.

The borough council will support the proposals, known as “asks”, after the authority’s overview and scrutiny commission found “no fundamental concerns” with the council leader’s decision to approve the report earlier this month.

It comes as each council needs to approve the asks ahead of a submission to government. North Yorkshire County Council supported the document last month, along with City of York Council and Scarborough District Council.

But Hambleton District Council has voted to defer a decision until the publication of the government’s white paper in the autumn, which leaves uncertainty over when the submission will be made.

Once all councils have agreed, the requests are tabled to government and ministers will produce a formal devolution deal for authorities to vote on.

Read more:

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.

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.

Both Cllr Richard Cooper and chief executive Wallace Sampson, top middle and top left, addressed the committee over the devolution “asks”.

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.

Liberal Democrat councillors, including opposition leader Cllr Pat Marsh, said the report was “heavily about York” and there was little in the requests which covered Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

But Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of the council, told the scrutiny meeting today that the document outlined plans which would benefit the wider district.

Abolishing districts “could save £2.94 billion”

Meanwhile, County Councils Network today released a report which said the replacement of two-tier systems with a single unitary authority in areas would save £2.94 billion nationally over five years.

The report by PricewaterhouseCoopers said replacing county and district councils with two unitary authorities in each area would reduce the financial benefit to £1 billion.

It comes as the government has set a requirement that any devolution bid must come with reorganisation of local government.

Cllr David Williams, chairman of the County Councils Network, said:

“The consequences of coronavirus for local government finances, and the need to work quickly to support the economic recovery, means more councils want to look again at how local government is structured in their area.

“This government has already signalled that it wants to see many more unitary councils created and it is important we get it right for our residents – we do not want to look back on this period as a missed opportunity.

“The findings from PwC show there is a compelling financial case for the creation of more unitary counties where councils seek reorganisation. They will provide significant savings to support frontline services and the stability needed to safeguard care services as we continue to mitigate the impact of coronavirus. Crucially, it will create councils of the necessary size to support local economies to recover from the pandemic and drive forward the devolution and levelling up agendas.”

‘Double devolution’ for parish councils, under county council plan

Town and parish councils could be given new powers and funding under North Yorkshire County Council’s plan for council reorganisation ahead of a devolution bid.

Under the authority’s plan, a single council would be created for the county. But council officials said there would also be “double devolution” for parish councils should they want it.

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.

Around 250 local town and parish councillors took part in a seminar held by the county council over its plan and the authority has since set up a working group to explore the proposal with parishes further.

Read more:

It comes as both the county council and the seven district authorities have until September to submit plans for a reorganisation of local councils to government ahead of a devolution bid.

Cllr Car Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“I was a parish councillor for many years and I attend parish council meetings. Parish councils are the salt of the earth and I enjoy working closely with them. I have been very impressed over the years with the ambition and achievements of Bedale town council which is the nearest market town to where I have lived all my life and I hope town councils will be interested in taking on more power – but it is up to them.

“We believe this double devolution which passports powers from Whitehall to the town hall and the town hall to the village hall is an exciting prospect. We are seeking more powers from the government, but we want more powers to be devolved to the very local area as well. We want to bring people together to get more things done at a local level.”

As the PR war over devolution continues, district council leaders are preparing an alternative proposal to the county council.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, previously said the proposal for one authority were “unworkable” and that the seven districts would consult on another proposal.

One of the options from the districts is for two unitary councils, one covering the north of the county and another in the south.

The plans are yet to be formalised, but are expected to go before each of the seven districts ahead of the deadline next month.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“We are working closely with our colleagues at district and borough councils across North Yorkshire so that we can come to an informed and evidence-led decision about a possible alternative model of local government. 

“When this work is done, a final business case will be produced, and this will go to our council, and the other district and borough councils, to be voted on, through the usual democratic process.”

North/south councils would better serve county, says Labour

North Yorkshire would be better served with two unitary councils in the north and south of the county, says Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party.

The local Labour group said while it supports devolved powers for the county, it does not agree with county council proposals for a single authority under restructure plans.

It comes as ministers have set a requirement to reorganise the make-up of local councils ahead of any devolution bid.

But Harrogate’s opposition parties, including the Liberal Democrats, have objected to the proposal for a one unitary council which would see Harrogate Borough Council and the other six districts scrapped.

Read more:

The local Labour group suggested a divided structure which would see urban areas, such as Harrogate and York, under one council and rural areas in the north under another.

It said a plan for a single authority would be too big and remote for the county.

A spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party said:

“Harrogate and Knaresborough Constituency Labour Party welcomes the idea of devolution of powers from central government to York and North Yorkshire as long as the budgetary devolution promises made by central government are adhered to for the foreseeable future.

“However, it totally opposes the idea of one authority based in Northallerton, as this would be too large and remote from the majority of a widely scattered population. There needs to be a geographical as well as economic reality in any proposal.”

Meanwhile, the battle to drum up support for proposals over the future of local government in the county has already started.

Districts leaders, led by Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper, have described county plans as “unworkable”, while county leaders have issued statements with endorsements from the likes of Durham and assurances from government ministers.

The campaigns to gather support are expected to continue for the next few weeks as both camps have until September to submit formal proposals to ministers.

Devolution in other shire counties

Over the Humber Bridge and into Lincolnshire, a similar battle over devolution and government restructure is taking place.

Much like North Yorkshire, the county is made up of a county council and seven district authorities. However, it also has two unitary councils in the North and North East.

As part of a devolution bid, the Conservative-led Lincolnshire County Council and its two counterparts may divide the county up under a proposed restructure.

It could see the county and its residents governed by one council in the north and another in the south.

This, as in North Yorkshire, would see the districts scrapped. As a result, leaders of the seven districts feel aggrieved and have complained of a lack of engagement from county hall.

But the message from government is that any devolution in both of the shire counties will not come until its council structure is changed. 

Yorkshire councils battle for support over devolution visions

Battle lines have been drawn between political leaders in North Yorkshire over which route to take on local council reorganisation with both sides lobbying in opposite directions for support.

County council bosses want a single council to serve the county and its 610,000 residents and sit alongside City of York Council as part of a devolution bid.

But, in the other camp, the districts, led by Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper, are seeking support for an alternative proposal to put to government.

Simon Clarke, local government minister, made local government reorganisation a requirement ahead of a York and North Yorkshire devolution bid.

Read more:

In a reflection of the political divide over the future of the county, both sides have started to pump out public statements in an effort to drum up support for their visions.

County council sets out its stall

Recently, the county council has put out statements showing support for its plan from other local authorities and one from the local government minister which said a unitary authority would be “within scope”.

On Tuesday, county council bosses released their latest effort to drum up support for their proposal with an endorsement from Durham County Council chief executive, Terry Collins.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

Durham became a single council after scrapping its districts 12 years ago. Mr Collins said such a move for North Yorkshire would work as there is “no other way of operating”.

He added that the council has been able to have “strong and effective localism” through its parish and town councils, who have their own plans and deal with their own priorities.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said the endorsement shows that the county council plan would be local and not a remote authority from parts of the county.

He said:

“It will be a far cry from the remote ‘mega council’ portrayed by detractors.

“We welcome Durham’s endorsement of our plan at this time. We know our people and our places, we deliver some of the best services in the country right into people’s homes and on the roads outside their front door and you don’t get more local than that.”

The district’s alternative proposal

But, on the other side of the fence sits the districts who have described the proposal for one council as “unworkable”.

The seven district council leaders launched their own campaign on Yorkshire Day for an alternative plan to the county council and are currently seeking comments from the public.

Read more:

In a letter to businesses in the Harrogate district seen by the Stray Ferret, Cllr Cooper said the proposal for one council would be “bad for business and bad for the economy”.

He added that the move to scrap the borough council would lose the connections with the authority and local business.

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council Richard Cooper.

Cllr Cooper said to business leaders:

“The council has been at the heart of the coronavirus response, working to support business recovery and releasing c£50 million in business grant aid. 

“We were only able to do this quickly and at scale because of our knowledge of our local economy, our close links with local businesses, and our long experience of delivering grass-roots services.

“It is essential that we do not lose these valuable qualities in the coming local government reorganisation, as I hope you agree.”

The battle being fought in public by the two camps will heat up as authority leaders edge closer to the deadline for proposals to be submitted to government in September.

As the devolution “asks, which propose a £2 billion deal for York and North Yorkshire, are also submitted, attention will turn to government which is expected to outline its devolution white paper next month.