A devolution deal for North Yorkshire that includes a directly elected mayor could be reached by summer, according to the leader of the county council.

County council officials have met with senior civil servants after the government included a deal for the county as part of its levelling up white paper in February.

Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of North Yorkshire County Council, and Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat leader of City of York Council, have also met with ministers to discuss devolution in North Yorkshire and York.

Council officials submitted a list of requests for devolved powers to government in December 2020 but negotiations were delayed by covid and the publication of the levelling up white paper.

In a statement to a full council meeting next week, Cllr Les will say that it is possible a deal could be reached by the parliamentary summer recess in July.

He says:

“What is clear is that all asks will need to be negotiated with vigour – the principle of devolution has been agreed, there is no automatic right of passage.

“Myself and the leader of City of York Council have had a first meeting with the responsible minister where he observed that we were first in the queue and he hoped we would maintain that position.

“There is a possibility that a deal can be done before the parliamentary summer recess.”

Read more:

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Ministers made it a requirement that a unitary council for North Yorkshire be established before any negotiations about a devolution deal could proceed. Last week’s elections for the new North Yorkshire Council brought that to fruition.

In December 2020, council bosses submitted to government a 140-page document which outlined £2.4 billion worth of spending and proposals to take back further powers from Westminster.

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

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said previously that the timetable for devolution negotiations could see an elected mayor in place by May 2024.

The mayor could have powers over areas such as transport and economic development. They could also take on the role as police and crime commissioner.

The negotiations come as the Conservatives retained control on the county council following the local elections last week, but with a smaller majority.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Cllr Les said he was willing to work with any party over the issue of devolution and local government reorganisation.

He said:

“It has always been my policy in the county council to reach out to other groups and to talk with them.

“I will continue to do that.”

There have been fresh calls to create a mayor for North Yorkshire following the election of new councillors last week.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has written to each of the county’s 91 newly elected councillors urging them to back a devolution deal that includes the creation of a metro mayor.

Mr Murison, who went to school in Boroughbridge and Harrogate, said the move could unlock “a huge amount” of funding for the county, with the mayor responsible for allocating much of it.

He or she would assume control over areas such as transport and economic development for the whole of North Yorkshire. The mayoral office could also swallow up the role of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Murison’s letter, which has been shared with the Stray Ferret, said:

“The maximum powers and funding are only available for a devolution deal with a directly elected mayor. As the Tees Valley has proven, a large urban metropolitan area is not a prerequisite and the mayoral model can prove hugely successful in areas where the economic geography is dominated by towns.

“Locally-led economic growth strategies to raise productivity in areas such as these are vital. The North of Tyne Combined Authority shares much of its geography with the Borderlands Growth Deal, which included Carlisle, parts of Scotland and rural Northumberland – and these places are already reaping the benefits.”

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The government’s Levelling Up White Paper was published in February and cited the creation of strong, local mayors as a key part of its levelling up agenda.

It said the government would open up negotiations over a devolution deal, including a mayor, with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council. However, a deal is yet to be signed off.

York council is run by the Liberal Democrats whereas NYCC is controlled by the Conservatives.

“Metro mayors are needed”

Labour’s Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester is often cited as an example of a mayor who has used his platform to win more funding from government and put a spotlight on the region.

Conservatives mayor for Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has also built a strong reputation for making the most of his region’s devolution deal.

But others, like Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees, have been divisive. Bristol residents voted last week in a referendum to scrap the position from 2024.

Mr Murison added:

“Devolution is flourishing in some places (South Yorkshire has just elected its second Metro Mayor) while stalling in others. It is not right that Cumbria or North Yorkshire should miss out on empowered local leadership – nor the government funding which goes hand in hand with it.

“Metro mayors are needed for cities, towns, and rural areas alike if we are serious about building a truly productive, prosperous Northern Powerhouse.”

Ripon voters heralded in a new era at both city and North Yorkshire level when they went to the polls last week.

Independent Andrew Williams was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council by a landslide in the Minster and Moorside division while Barbara Brodigan, standing for election for the first time, won comfortably for the Lib Dems in the Spa and Ure Bank division.

Prior to Thursday, Ripon’s north and south wards had been represented at North Yorkshire County Council by Conservatives Mike Chambers and Stuart Martin.

However, Cllr Chambers, who is also a member of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet, lost his county seat while first-time Conservative candidate Thomas Averre saw the seat formerly occupied by Cllr Martin change hands in emphatic fashion.

Conservatives relegated to third

Cllr Williams, who has served as Ripon City Council leader since 2020, was elected with the largest majority of any candidate standing in the 21 Harrogate district divisions.

He took the seat more than 1,100 votes clear of second placed Lib Dem Thomas Cavell-Taylor, while Mr Averre finished third of the three candidates.

Cllr Chambers will, like Cllr Martin, remain a member of Harrogate Borough Council until its abolition in April, when the new unitary authority comes into being.

He finished third of the four candidates in the Spa and Ure Bank division, behind victor Barbara Brodigan and lndependent  Sid Hawke, who won his city council seat and will remain on Harrogate Borough Council until it ceases to exist.

Survey of Ripon residents highlighted the issues

Cllr Brodigan, who will be one of 10 Lib Dems from the Harrogate district on the new unitary authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“We surveyed Ripon residents earlier this year to ask them about the main issues they want to have addressed.

Roads that can cope with traffic associated with new homes is a priority for newly-elected councillor Barbara Brodigan.

“These were principally over-supply of housing in the city and lack of a suitable road infrastructure to accommodate the extra traffic generated by the new homes.

“In addition, there are major concerns about the lack of facilities for young people, which is seen as one of the reasons for the high incidence of antisocial behaviour in the city.”

The former teacher, who has years of experience working in Leeds with students who had been expelled from their schools, hopes her expertise in dealing with disruptive children can be put to good effect locally and at North Yorkshire level.

Ripon’s needs ahead of party politics

Cllr Williams said:

“We had a clear message that the needs of Ripon and its citizens come before party politics and that resonated with the voters.

“They told us on their doorsteps, that they are worried about rocketing fuel prices, the cost of living crisis, the dreadful state of roads and pavements in Ripon and the poor standard of policing in the city.

“During weeks of campaigning, we knocked on thousands of doors and it was clear from those that we spoke with that illegal parties at Number Ten was barely an election issue.”

Looking ahead, Cllr Williams added:

“We will seek to work with Harrogate Borough Council, while it still exists and North Yorkshire County Council in its present form, to see power devolved and community assets returned to Ripon.

“We will also look to address other outstanding issues – a key one being the need for rapid improvement of policing in our city, which is not fit for purpose.

“The city council made a formal complaint to North Yorkshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, in March and we are still awaiting her response.

“The anti-social behaviour  that has plagued Ripon for years, grew worse with the covid lockdowns and we will be focusing on a root cause, which is  the very poor provision by HBC and NYCC of facilities and activities for young people.”

In addition to Cllr Brodigan’s election to the city council for the Lib-Dems, other new faces are Independents Jackie Crozier, Tony Duncan, Stuart Flatley and Julie-Ann Martin-Long, who join fellow Independents Jo Bate, Chris Hardisty, Sid Hawke, Peter Horton, Pauline McHardy, Eamon Parkin and Andrew Williams – all of whom were re-elected.

Read more:

• What went wrong for the Conservatives in Ripon?
• Lib Dems victorious in Harrogate district
• Ripon City Council says police are ‘not fit for purpose’

For the first time ever, no Conservative candidates will be seeking election to Ripon City Council on May 5.

The party is fielding candidates though in the election being held on the same day for the new North Yorkshire Council.

The apparent bloc decision means the Conservatives have disengaged from grassroots parish politics in the city with devolution less than a year away.

 Who is standing in the Ripon City Council election?

While the ballot for Ripon’s two seats on the new unitary North Yorkshire authority will be hotly-contested, the election for the 12 city council seats is looking more clear cut.

In the Minster Ward, Independents Pauline McHardy, Chris Hardisty and Tony Duncan, are already elected, because no other candidates are standing against them.

With no Labour candidates standing either, the nine remaining city council seats in the Moorside, Spa and Ure Bank wards are up for grabs in a two-way fight between the Independents and Liberal Democrats.

In the Moorside Ward, current councillors Peter Horton and Andrew Williams, are standing for the Independents, along with Julia Martin-Long, while Tom Cavell-Taylor and Paul Dinning are standing for the Liberal Democrats.

The Spa Ward sees Barbara Brodigan and Bill Swaney, of the Liberal Democrats, against Independents Jackie Crozier, Stuart Flatley and Walter Woods, while Mayor Eamon Parkin and fellow independents Jo Bate and Sid Hawke are standing for re-election in the Ure Bank ward  against Liberal Democrats Libby Clements and Helen Mason.

Disengagement from parish politics

The Conservatives’  disengagement from parish council politics, comes at a time when the demise of the Harrogate district,  potentially puts greater emphasis on grassroots decision making and the running of services.

In the devolution melting pot are issues such as ownership and operation of assets including Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square, Spa Gardens and Spa Park.

Former mayor John Richmond (pictured above) told the Stray Ferret there’s a need for the city to be represented from the grassroots upwards.

Mr Richmond emphasised how important it is people vote, saying:

“Irrespective of whose name people plan to put their X against on May 5, I urge them to use their vote, because the bigger the turnout means the greater the mandate that those selected to represent us will have, when it comes to fighting for what Ripon requires.”

The independent-controlled city council has, with the support of Conservatives, called for assets handed over to Harrogate at the last major local government reorganisation in 1974, to be returned to the city’s ownership from the soon to be defunct borough.

The Conservatives have also voted unanimously with the independents over the past two years to freeze the Ripon parish precept and there was also unanimity between the two groups in calling for Homes England to reduce the number of houses at the huge barracks development, amid concerns that the city’s road infrastructure could end up in perpetual gridlock.

The need for consensus at grassroots level

Although he is no longer involved in politics or aligned to any party, Mr Richmond remains passionate about the future of the city.

He advised:

“If ever there was a time for consensus and bi-partisan decision making at a very local level, that time is now.”

Mr Richmond, who was first elected  in 1967, when he stood for the Conservatives, subsequently became an Independent and served as Mayor of Ripon in 1975-1976:

He pointed out

“The local government reorganisation in 1974 was a turbulent time, as  we were going into totally unknown territory.

“The seat of power was no longer at Ripon Town Hall, but divided between the newly-created Harrogate District and North Yorkshire County Council.

“Against this backdrop of change and uncertainty, I  soon learned how important it was to work alongside people of different political colours, when fighting for local issues.

“They, of course, were going to fight their corner for the people that voted them in and I was going to do the same for Ripon.”

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North Yorkshire residents should see a “seamless transition” of council services when a new unitary authority covering the whole county launches in April 2023, council chiefs have said.

The new North Yorkshire Council will replace the existing county and district councils – with elections set to take place on 5 May.

It will mark the biggest changes to local government in the county since 1974 and will see key services from bin collections to social care, and street cleaning to leisure centres, come under the control of the new council.

Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council, told a virtual public meeting on Monday that the transition was now fast approaching and staff from all existing councils were working together to ensure services run smoothly from day one.

He said:

“There isn’t a lot of time to prepare for local government reorganisation and the new authority coming into force from 1 April 2023.

“All eight councils are really working hard to make sure the transition to the new North Yorkshire Council is as seamless as possible.”

The restructuring is linked to a devolution deal for North Yorkshire which could get millions of pounds in funding, more decision-making powers and an elected mayor by 2024.

The government had stipulated a key requirement of any deal was for the current two-tier councils system to be replaced by a single unitary authority.

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The aim is to streamline structures and save money, with some of the savings coming from a reduction in senior staff including the eight current chief executives.

Paul Shevlin, chief executive of Craven District Council, told yesterday’s meeting that another aim is to “keep the local in local government”.

He said each of the seven districts – including Craven, Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough, Richmondshire, Hambleton and Ryedale – would each still have a local council office under the reorganisation plans.

Mr Shevlin said:

“We need to look after not just the most vulnerable, but everybody in our society so a local office is going to be crucial.

“Some of the judgements on day one will be: Did you notice a difference? Could you access your local council?

“If the answer to those is yes, then we will have made a successful immediate transition.

“After that comes the transformation.”

Mr Shevlin also said six local area constituency committees were likely to be created on the new council – with 15 councillors on each given decision-making powers over services including licensing and planning.

In total, 90 councillors will be elected on 5 May to serve one year on North Yorkshire County Council before transitioning to the new unitary authority for a four-year term.

Mr Shevlin added:

“This really is the most important election in North Yorkshire since the last local government reorganisation in 1974.

“Please make sure you are registered to vote, and please do vote.”

A series of virtual events are being held this month for residents to find out more about the new North Yorkshire Council.

For more information go to www.northyorks.gov.uk/new-council-virtual-roadshows

Ripon Spa Baths is set to be sold to a commercial developer after a bid to retain the building for community use failed.

Harrogate Borough Council, which has owned the Edwardian building since the reorganisation of local government in 1974, has confirmed that it intends to sell the Park Street property to the unnamed commercial bidder.

Ripon City Council successfully applied for for the building to be listed as an asset of community value in September. This meant it had six months to raise the finance to purchase the building to keep it in commercial use. But time has now run out.

The city council also called this month for the ownership of the Grade II listed building, which was used as a swimming pool until it closed in November, to be transferred back to Ripon without charge when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.

Ripon councillors argued that Spa Baths and other city assets, including the town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square, Spa Gardens and Spa Park, should be handed back for free by Harrogate Borough Council as it had not paid a penny for them.

The building is recognised as a key heritage asset by Ripon Civic Society

But Harrogate Borough Council’s response to Ripon City Council’s request for the reversion of ownership, seen by the Stray Ferret, confirms the building will be sold to a developer.

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy and culture said in the email, which has been circulated to all city councillors:

“As you are aware we are selling Ripon Spa Baths because a brand new pool has been built in Ripon and this building is no longer needed.

“Our main objective through this disposal is to ensure that the building continues to be used in future and supports the sustainability of Ripon City Centre. To achieve this objective we have undertaken a comprehensive sales strategy which generated market interest in purchasing the building.

“The preferred bidder can demonstrate the experience, capacity and capability in bringing buildings back into use. In addition the proposed sale to the current preferred bidder will generate a capital receipt.

“The generation of capital receipts for assets that are no longer needed allows significant investment to be made in new assets, such as the new Ripon Pool.”

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“At its meeting on 13 October 2021, Harrogate cabinet have previously agreed to dispose of the building to the preferred bidder.

“As the building is listed as an Asset of Community Value a moratorium period was initiated and implemented where the council has not been able to dispose of the building, now that this period has expired we will execute this decision.

“We believe that this will deliver the best way of ensuring the future, sustainable use of this asset and enable Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council to continue to invest in the continuous improvement of Ripon City and its neighbourhoods.”

Harrogate district residents are being invited to take part in interactive virtual meetings to learn more about the new North Yorkshire Council.

The new council will start operating in April next year, as part of the largest local government reorganisation since 1974.

The shake-up will see the demise of eight local authorities, including Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council. All the services they provide will transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished next year.

The first locality roadshow is designed for people living in the Ripon and Skipton parliamentary constituency, It will be held next Monday (April 4).

Those living in the Selby and Ainsty constituency are invited to a meeting on April 6 and the virtual meeting for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency will take place on April 12.

Nominations have opened for candidates hoping to become one of the 90 councillors on a new unitary authority for the whole of North Yorkshire.

Elections to the new council will take place on May 5, with candidates able to put their names forward until April 5.

The move to a single council will mark a crucial time in North Yorkshire’s history and comes after the government announced in July that the area’s eight county and district councils would be scrapped in April 2023.

Elected councillors will represent 89 new divisions on North Yorkshire County Council for one year, before serving a four-year term on the new council.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said the councillors would play a key role in shaping how public services will work in the future as he also urged residents to make sure they are eligible to vote.

“If safe communities and thriving business matter to you, or services like schools, social care, housing, planning, roads, waste management and leisure, then it is really important that you take part in these elections.

“The people elected will determine the vision and values of the new North Yorkshire Council from the beginning.”

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The opening of nominations follows Parliamentary approval of legislation for the new council to replace North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough councils in Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough, Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale and Richmondshire.

The Structural Changes Order approved last week also enables parish elections to be held on the same day as the county elections.

Nomination papers must be completed by those wanting to stand as candidates in both the county and parish council elections. These papers are available from the district and borough councils.

To be able to vote you must be on the electoral register by April 14. Those who are signed up will receive polling cards or letters which are being sent out from the last two weeks in March.

Voters who are not able to get to their local polling station on May 5 can apply to vote by post or proxy.

A chief executive for the upcoming North Yorkshire Council is due to be in place by autumn this year.

The move to a single council will mark the biggest change to local government in North Yorkshire in almost 50 years.

The existing county council and seven district and borough councils will be scrapped to make way for North Yorkshire Council.

This week, senior councillors agreed on an implementation plan for the new authority, which will come into place in April 2023.

As part of the plan, a new senior management board and chief executive will be appointed as part of an open process.

The document before senior councillors said:

“For all posts, but critically those with senior management and leadership responsibilities, it is critically important that the new council has the right people at the right level doing the right things and behaving the right way.”

Details of salary and roles at the new council have yet to be published. 

Current county council chief executive, Richard Flinton, received a total pay packet, including allowances, of £179,431 in 2019/20, according to latest transparency figures published by the authority.

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Four other senior officers also earn more than £100,000.

Meanwhile, almost all remaining staff will then be transferred across on April 1, 2023, as all services from bin collections to business support, and social care to highways, come under new control.

North Yorkshire councils chief executive salaries:

• Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire County Council – £179,431
• Wallace Sampson, Harrogate Borough Council – £115,277
• Justin Ives, Hambleton District Council – £132,676
• Mike Greene, Scarborough Borough Council – £112,892
• Tony Clark, Richmondshire District Council – £98,702
• Paul Shelvin, Craven District Council – £105,669
• Janet Waggott, Selby District Council – £109,767
• Stacey Burlet, Ryedale District Council – £105,504

*Figures are based on each council’s latest transparency information.

Key decisions on the new council, such as its location, decision making and economic strategy, are set to be made after the May elections.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, was one of several members of a new executive board that approved the implementation plan for the new North Yorkshire Council.

He said while he previously supported a rival vision for two new councils split on an east/west basis, he believed the plan would ensure the single council meets the overall aims of saving money and streamlining services.

Cllr Swift said:

“Today we have got a document in the public domain which I find extremely exciting because it starts to lay out the principles of what the new council can be.

“This is a document which can be used to display with confidence the plans that our councils have, but it will also keep our feet to the fire.”

Elections for the new North Yorkshire Council will be held on May 5. and the deadline to register to vote is April 14. You can register to vote here.

A new roadmap for the creation of a single council for the whole of North Yorkshire will “hold feet to the fire” on the promise of better services, a senior Conservative has said.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, was one of several members of a new executive board that today approved an implementation plan for the new North Yorkshire Council set to take over from April 2023.

He said while he previously supported a rival vision for two new councils split on an east/west basis, he believed the plan would ensure the single council meets the overall aims of saving money and streamlining services.

Cllr Swift said:

“Today we have got a document in the public domain which I find extremely exciting because it starts to lay out the principles of what the new council can be.

“This is a document which can be used to display with confidence the plans that our councils have, but it will also keep our feet to the fire.”

Major change

The move to a single council will mark the biggest change to local government in North Yorkshire in almost 50 years, and will mean the existing county council and seven district and borough councils are scrapped.

It is linked to a devolution deal with government which said millions of pounds in funding and decision-making powers could only be devolved to North Yorkshire if a unitary system is introduced.

North Yorkshire County Council had proposed the single council plan, while the district and borough councils except Hambleton, which rejected all options on the table, made a bid for two councils split on an east/west basis but failed to win government support.

Read more:

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These opposing views were described as an “elephant in the room” at today’s first meeting of the new executive board which is made up of 17 county, borough and district councillors from across North Yorkshire.

But members said they were willing to put their previous preferences aside in order to plan for the transition to the new council.

The implementation plan sets out how elections to the new council will take place in May, followed by the appointment of a new council chief executive by autumn and a corporate management team by January 2023.

Residents will be a priority

Almost all remaining staff will then be transferred across on April 1, 2023, as all services from bin collections to business support, and social care to highways, come under new control.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, told today’s meeting that while the transition of services and staff would be a challenge, the needs of residents would still be a priority.

He said:

“We are trying to create a strong council that will be able to meet the huge challenges that will hit the communities of North Yorkshire in the years ahead.

“There will be further austerity and that will need to be tackled by local government and other public services.

“We are finding there are growing numbers of people that need the protection of council services and we expect those challenges to rise over the coming years.”