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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cllr Steve Siddons, leader of Scarborough Borough Council.

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

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

He said:

“I am extremely disappointed with this announcement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It said:

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

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

Government chooses single super authority to replace Harrogate council

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

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

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

It follows two models being submitted to government for consideration.

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

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

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

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

Mr Jenrick said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?

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

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

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

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

Finances

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

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

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

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

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

Elections and councillors

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

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

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

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

NYCC said current boundaries suggest there would be 144 councillors.

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

A town council for Harrogate

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

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

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

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

Assets

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

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

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

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

On-demand bus service launches around Ripon

North Yorkshire County Council has launched its pilot on-demand bus service called YorBus, allowing travellers to book public transport at times to suit them.

People who live in Ripon, Masham, Bedale and the surrounding villages can use the YorBus app to chose a pick-up and drop-off bus stop and travel within the service area at their leisure.

There is a flat fare: adults will pay £1.20 and children aged five to 17 will pay 65p. Those under five travel for free.

Those living in the blue area can access YorBus to travel around it

The service will run from 6.55am to 6pm during the week and 9am to 6pm at weekends. There is no service on bank holidays.

The app allows the customers to keep track of the bus’s location and gauge how long it will take to arrive.

Customers can download the YorBus mobile phone app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Those who do not have a smart phone can book their public transport over the phone on 01609 780780.

The council has assured those who struggle with mobility that the service will be fully accessible with low floor and ramp access.

This service is going to be regularly reviewed and, if successful, will inform its decision for a wider rollout within the country.

Harrogate Parish Council could be created after devolution shake-up

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

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

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

The motion says:

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

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

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

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

He told the Stray Ferret:

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

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

What would a town or parish council do?

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

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

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

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

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

‘Extremely urgent’ action required to tackle NHS dentist shortage

Health bosses have insisted they are doing everything possible to attract NHS dentists to set up in North Yorkshire after admitting there is a growing backlog of patients awaiting treatment.

After grilling NHS bosses responsible for dentistry across the region, North Yorkshire’s scrutiny of health committee concluded the health service needs to take “extremely urgent” action to address dire access to services.

It comes as the Stray Ferret revealed in March that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district were accepting new patients — and both have a waiting time of at least two-and-a-half years.

At the time, Cllr John Ennis, chair of the health scrutiny committee for North Yorkshire, described the findings as “shocking”.

‘Residents demand explanations’

The health committee meeting heard that over the past 12 months, practices in North Yorkshire had started handing back NHS contracts and others had been terminated for failing to provide contracted services.

Of the 100 remaining dentistry NHS contracts in the county, some only take children as NHS patients if their parents pay for private treatment and others that do take adult NHS patients report waiting lists of more than 8,000 patients.

Cllr Tony Randerson told the meeting that residents were demanding explanations as to why parents were having to take children as young as six to places such as Middlesbrough and face bills of £100 for check-ups.

He called on the county council to put pressure on the government to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Cllr Randerson said:

“The government has got a responsibility to look after not only the small few that can afford private treatment, but everybody. It is a duty of care.

“It’s absolutely criminal that these people are having to travel as far away as Hull or Leeds if they are fortunate enough to get an appointment, and not necessarily NHS appointments. This cannot be allowed to go on.”

The meeting heard access to NHS dentistry had been grave in some areas for many years.

NHS dentistry commissioner Debbie Pattinson said that due to nationally imposed pandemic restrictions practices were continuing to operate at about 60 per cent capacity.

She emphasised practices had been asked to prioritise those in need of urgent care.

Ms Pattinson said:

“We’ve got a growing backlog, a growing number of people who want a regular check up and cant get one.

“It is unprecedented. We’ve not known anything like it in North Yorkshire with the contracts coming back.”

Managing perceptions

However, she added NHS bosses were working to manage “public perceptions”.

She said:

“Dentistry isn’t free. It is a subsidised service.”

Ms Pattinson said finding replacement practices was proving difficult as due to covid restrictions “nobody wants to take on more activity”.

Nevertheless, she said the NHS hoped to have commissioned some out of hours urgent care appointments on Saturdays at a number of different clinics in bigger towns across North Yorkshire by the beginning of October.

To target inequality, North Yorkshire and Humber Local Dental Network chairman Simon Hearnshaw said the NHS was looking at introducing a dentistry programme for children linking a practice to a school, supporting supervised brushing, increasing fluoride, and supporting access to care.

He added the NHS was “trying extremely hard” to improve provision, which included examining incentivising practices to set up in areas of county with no NHS dental cover.

Number of covid patients in North Yorkshire hospitals almost doubles in a week

The number of covid patients in North Yorkshire’s hospitals has almost doubled in the last week.

Senior health officials are urging people to continue to get the vaccine as cases in the county continue to surge.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group told a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum today that there had been a jump in the number of patients in the last seven days.

She said:

“We have seen that the number of patients who have covid in our hospitals has risen over the last week.

“As of yesterday there were 23 patients in our hospitals and that figure is up from 12 this time last week so we have seen an increase of 11 patients.”

The numbers include six patients in York Hospital and three in Harrogate. There are currently no covid patients at Scarborough Hospital.

The rise in patients comes as the Delta variant of covid continues to spread throughout North Yorkshire, particularly in those under 30, with the number of cases having tripled in a fortnight.

The current infection rates per 100,000 in the county are 139 in Selby, 124 in Craven, 108 in Richmondshire, 91 in Harrogate, 51 in Ryedale, 44 in Hambleton and 28 in Scarborough.

The overall rate for North Yorkshire is now 81. At the start of June, the county’s rate per 100,000 people was just 18.

Mrs Bloor said everyone who was eligible for a vaccine, which is now all over 18s, should come forward to get the jab.

She said:

“We all know how important vaccination is.

“Anything that all of us can do to encourage any of our friends, colleagues, families and people in our communities who have not felt able to come forward yet and take their vaccine [will help].

“We can see from the numbers in our communities and from the numbers of patients in hospitals that the most effective weapon against covid is to have a vaccine and have two doses.

“It may not prevent you from getting the disease itself but it will prevent you from becoming seriously unwell and potentially requiring hospital treatment and stay in hospital.”

Mrs Bloor added that “there was still a link” between the rise in infections and hospitalisations and it had not yet been broken.

So far, 355,012 people have had two doses of a covid vaccine in North Yorkshire according to Public Health England figures.

North Yorkshire Police stop 60 motorists without seatbelt

North Yorkshire Police said today it had stopped more than 60 drivers and passengers during a seatbelt action week.

Three children were among those found to be not wearing a seatbelt, something officers described as “deeply concerning”.

It has been a legal requirement in the UK for people to wear seatbelts in cars for decades.

Failure to wear a seatbelt can lead to a £100 fine, which can rise to £500 if convicted in court.

Research shows drivers and passengers aged 17 to 34 are least likely to wear a seatbelt, but most likely to have a crash.

Their chances of dying are two times higher than if they’d worn one.

Sergeant Tim Wilson, who led the campaign, said:

“We enforce the law on seatbelt use every day of the year. But this week-long campaign lets us highlight the issue to people across the county and educate road users alongside the usual enforcement.

“It’s also been an excellent opportunity to work closely with parents and schools across the county.”

Delayed Otley Road cycle path set to begin in August

Work on the delayed Otley Road cycle path is set to finally begin in August. The first phase could be completed before Christmas, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

£3.2m was set aside to build the route in 2018 but the plans have been beset by delays that have frustrated Harrogate’s cycling community.

There are three phases to the construction of the route.

The first phase of the cycle path will connect Harlow Moor Road to Arthur’s Avenue close to Harrogate Grammar School . This work could not start due to utility works on the Harlow Moor Road and Otley Road junction, which were completed last week.

The second phase of the cycle route will link Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove. This phase meant a consultation over the use of Stray land.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

The Stray Ferret asked the Duchy of Lancaster, which owns the Stray, if they have accepted the offer but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“I don’t know whether the Duchy of Lancaster has accepted the exchange of land. But assuming that has happened, we’re all set to start. Work on the first phase should begin in August and should be completed within a few months”.

The third phase will link Cardale Park on Harlow Hill to the route.

Rene Dziabas, chair of Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association (HAPARA) called on NYCC to communicate with residents and businesses affected by the works.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The start date of August broadly accords with what we have already been told. Given that this first phase of the Otley Road cycle path will be disruptive, we hope that NYCC will actively pursue a policy of communicating with all residents and businesses affected on what can be expected. So far this project has not been well communicated to those most affected.”

District’s residents asked for views on emissions targets

North Yorkshire residents are being urged to have their say on targets to cut carbon emissions from road and rail vehicles in the wider region to almost zero by 2045.

The North of England Decarbonisation Strategy aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by tackling surface transport, which covers people and goods moved by cars, vans, lorries, buses and trains.

‘Net zero’ means a state in which greenhouse gas emissions are at the lowest possible rates combined with policies to mitigate the remaining emissions, such as planting trees.

Transport for the North (TfN), a sub-national transport body, estimated that in 2018 the region saw 26 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from surface transport, which represented almost a quarter of the UK’s total road emissions.

Its consultation document includes four future travel scenarios to suggest how emissions may change depending on how much action is taken.

Proposed measures include phasing out petrol, diesel and hybrid car and vans by 2030, and boosting sales of zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

TfN also wants to encourage higher use of public transport and reduce private car travel, to decarbonise the rail network and suggests authorities could consider introducing clean air zones or congestion changes.

Other suggestions include cycle and e-scooter hire schemes, low-traffic neighbourhoods, and prioritising planning developments close to existing transport hubs to create ’15/20-minute neighbourhoods’

Harrogate-based councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“The county council fully supports TfN’s proposed Decarbonisation Strategy. Our county is the largest in the country and residents often have to travel long distances just to reach destinations within North Yorkshire.

“That is why we support improvements in public transport whenever we can to offer alternatives to the private car. We also continue to expand opportunities for safe sustainable travel, and to invest in the county’s digital infrastructure to improve broadband and mobile phone reception.”

The Climate Change Act (2019) commits the UK government to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels by 2050.

This law is linked to 2015’s ‘Paris Agreement’, which aims to limit the global average temperature increase to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and try to limit the rise to 1.5°C.

To find out more and respond to the consultation visit transportforthenorth.com/decarbonisation. The consultation opens today and closes at noon on August 31 2021.

Tim Wood, interim chief executive at TfN, said:

“We urge everyone in North Yorkshire to get involved in this vital work and provide their views to the consultation, helping to shape future transport networks that are not only efficient and reliable, but are sustainable too.”

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Finances

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Elections and councillors

A town council for Harrogate

Assets

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What would a town or parish council do?

‘Residents demand explanations’

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Managing perceptions

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