Eight-week consultation to be held on creating North Yorkshire mayor
An eight-week public consultation looks set to start in October asking people in North Yorkshire if they support devolution and the election of a mayor.
It will also be asked to pay an initial £600,000 to cover the costs of the consultation exercise and other early implementation costs.
If devolution goes ahead, it will lead to the creation of a combined authority for North Yorkshire and York and the election of a mayor for the region.
A draft deal was signed on August 1, which is Yorkshire Day, in York. The 32-page document promised £540 million over 30 years and more devolved powers over skills, transport and energy.
Now councillors are being asked to move to the next stage of the process.
Councillor Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the county council, hailed the deal as “life-changing for the region’s economy”, adding:
“I have been a huge supporter of the devolution of powers and money from Whitehall to the Town Hall and of local-led decision making set against our own priorities.
“I have no problem in recommending the acceptance of the draft deal and of asking my executive colleagues to agree a public consultation.”
Ripon’s historic St Wilfrid’s Procession returns to huge crowds
Thousands of people lined the streets of Ripon to watch the return of the historic St Wilfrid’s Procession.
It was a party atmosphere as the crowds clapped and cheered as the parade made its way around the city, which is celebrating its 1,350th anniversary.
Led by an actor on horseback playing the role of St Wilfrid, the parade was accompanied by the award-winning Ripon City Band.
An actor on horseback playing the role of St Wilfrid.
It featured a colourful assortment of decorated floats, with designs created by businesses and organisations, including Bishopton Vets, Ripon Farm Services and Winksley cum Grantley Young Farmers Club.
You can watch a video of the procession on the Stray Ferret Facebook page here.
The parade was unable to go ahead in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Bishopton Vets’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory float.
But it was back in force today, with a total of 16 floats taking part.
Antony Prince, chairman of the St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee, said:
“It has been a huge success. It’s fantastic that it is able to take place again.
“The community and public have really got behind it. There is no procession without all the people who put it together. They are all volunteers and all the money raised goes back into keeping it going.
“The weather has held off and it is just fabulous to get the community back together again.”
The parade started on Studley Road at 1.30pm and finished at Ripon Cathedral at 4.15pm, where a service was held and awards were given out for the best floats.
Ripon Farm Services’ Top Gun float.
Held on either the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday in August each year, the St Wilfrid’s Parade is a unique event, whose origins date back to 1108 when King Henry I granted a royal charter to the City Of Ripon to hold an annual fair.
St Wilfrid is celebrated as the man, who in AD 672, founded the church in the location where Ripon’s iconic cathedral now stands and the stonework in the crypt, dating back to that year, is the oldest remaining building remnant to be found in any English cathedral.
While the revelry was on-going around Ripon’s streets, the city council held a Celebrating Yorkshire Day event, which included free fairground rides, a climbing wall, face painting and Punch and Judy shows.
At 6pm, local singer songwriter Freddie Cleary, kicked off an evening of free musical entertainment and he will be followed on stage by tribute acts, either side of the 9pm setting of the watch ceremony performed by one of the Ripon hornblowers.
County Council’s ambition for devolution deal on Yorkshire Day
The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has spoken of his hope that the government will agree a devolution deal this Monday on Yorkshire Day.
Councillor Carl Les said while it had been hoped devolution for the county and York would be agreed before the parliamentary summer recess started last week, work was continuing to finalise a deal after almost 20 months of negotiations.
He told a meeting of the authority that the Department for Communities and Local Government had launched a process known as a “write-round”, to get the consent from other ministries, such as the Treasury, and Department of Transport, without having to hold a cabinet meeting.
It is understood if all the government departments are happy, a devolution deal could be announced within days.
Cllr Les said he was hopeful a deal could be reached by August 1.
Cllr Les has repeatedly emphasised the county has no right to devolution and that North Yorkshire and York have had to develop a case for the government giving up some of its powers.
If there is an objection from any ministry it could delay the deal until September.
A meeting of the authority heard concerns over the potential consequences of the government missing the target date.
The concerns follow Michael Gove’s departure as communities secretary prompting fears within local government that devolution might be postponed.
However, local government analysts have reported Mr Gove’s replacement, Greg Clark, is determined to keep to his predecessor’s target of getting nine devolution deals signed before the autumn.
There have also been concerns the deal could be delayed by an unwillingness to ratify major decisions during uncertainty over who will become the next prime minister.
It is believed the deal for York and North Yorkshire could potentially unlock around £2.4bn of investment over 30 years, with a focus on improving economic prosperity, creating more affordable housing and lead to the area becoming England’s first carbon negative economy.
Key to the asks which were put forward in December 2020 are wishes to take charge of delivering improved digital connectivity and the amount of “gain share” or extra funding from government.Gain share is being viewed as a key part of the devolution deal as it will remain the same flat rate for the next 30 years, whereas the devolvement of powers could continue to be negotiated at a later date.
Ripon rocks and sparkles on a night of music and fireworks
Ripon rocked last night, as a large crowd massed on Market Square for an evening of music and entertainment.
The finale was a spectacular fireworks display that lit-up the night sky above the city’s elegant town hall.
A five-hour programme started with talented local singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary and ended with a convincing Freddie Mercury sound-alike.
Tribute acts had the audience singing along to Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’ and Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ among many other iconic British pop songs.
In a county where Tykes are known for their care when it comes to money — the icing on the Yorkshire Day Weekend cake, was the fact that it was all for free.
With the covid lockdown lifted, hundreds came to let their hair down on Market Square.
The day of fun for all the family, organised by Ripon City Council, was the first large-scale event to be held in the city since the coronavirus pandemic brought an abrupt end to all public gatherings.
From 2pm until 8pm, children with their parents and grandparents had Market Square North to themselves, as two free fairground rides and a climbing wall ensured enjoyment for all families, without the need to reach into purses and pockets.
The rides were still spinning as the music started on the stage in front of Ripon Town Hall.
Ripon-based singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Freddie Cleary was the opening act.
Freddie Cleary, singing some of his own songs and a selection of favourite tunes, was followed by the Elton John tribute act, with white piano in what was a fitting celebration of one of Britain’s best-known musical Knights.
The tribute performed hit after hit from Sir Elton’s songbook.
Before the Elton John tribute did his second set, an Amy Winehouse look and sound-alike sang in the distinctive style of the late legend.
Then came the finale and a scintillating rendition of the songs made famous by rock legend Freddie Mercury.
An emotional and power-packed tribute to Amy Winehouse, who died ten years ago
The Queen tribute act front man had the audience wrapped in the palm of his hands, as he sang ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’
For the citizens of Ripon, the free entertainment continues today as the fairground rides and climbing wall will be open from 10am until 4pm.
Rock and rockets around the Ripon Town Hall Clock
And parents who saved money on the free rides may be spending some of it at the Little Bird Artisan Market, that will be open on Market Square South from 10am until 3pm.
Strayside Sunday: I want to pay one council tax to a single and accountable body
Strayside Sunday is our monthly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party.
August 1st is Yorkshire Day, the day we hang out the white rose flags, revel in the natural and sometimes bleak beauty of our great county, celebrate our heroes from Harold Wilson to Alan Bennett, from Betty Boothroyd to Dame Janet Baker, from David Hockney to Emily Bronte and rebel against the cheap and cliched stereotypes of flat caps, whippets and black pudding.
In fact, Yorkshire Day has its roots in two historic events; the first being the Battle of Minden in Prussia in 1759, when the King’s Own (as opposed to God’s own, one presumes) Yorkshire Light Infantry formed the larger part of an Anglo-German force that, under the command of Field Marshall Ferdinand of Brunswick, sent packing the French forces of the Marquis de Contades. In celebration and to this day, a white rose adorns the Light Infantry’s headdress. Quite right too. Another great Yorkshireman, William Wilberforce MP, led the campaign for emancipation that ended with the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act on August 1st, 1833.
However, Yorkshire Day’s modern roots lie in protest. In 1975 the Yorkshire Ridings Society in Beverley used the day to protest the local government re-organisation of the previous year. The word riding is, by the way, derived from the Danish word thridding, meaning third, or in this case one of three, North, East and West). Those reforms introduced the two-tier (county and district) system of local government that has remained largely intact, in North Yorkshire at least, until now.
Last week, Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced the much-trailed devolution settlement for North Yorkshire. The two-tier system goes, with a single unitary authority to be constituted from April 2023, serving the 618,000 residents of the county (excluding the City of York) and costing an estimated £38 millions of your money and mine to set up. This ending an increasingly bitter scrap between two opposing bids for unitary powers, that of Councillor Carl Les’ North Yorkshire County Council, arguing for a single unitary authority and that of the seven districts, led by Harrogate’s own Councillor Richard Cooper, arguing for two. Between them this sorry lot spent a staggering £330,000 of our money on consultants from PWC (North Yorkshire, £90,000) and KPMG (seven districts, £240,000) to help write their respective bids. The more I hear about government spending on big consultancies (£3 billion on Test & Trace anyone?) the more I think I’m in the wrong game.
I doubt very much that this Yorkshire Day will see anyone lamenting the demise of Harrogate Borough Council, let alone the organisation of a protest at the reforms. This council will disappear leaving an honours board of failure and mismanagement and leave a mettlesome legacy to the new unitary: The financial sink hole that is the Harrogate Convention Centre, the actual sink hole at the new Ripon baths, the vanity project that is the council HQ at Knapping Mount, the outdated (and undelivered) town plan, a £165,000 Visit Harrogate website, a diminished and drab Harrogate town centre, a hotch-potch of unsympathetic housing developments, a political culture astonishing for its secrecy (more politburo than democratic body) and profligacy (Viv Nicholson would blush) and, perhaps most damning of all, it leaves a fragmented, fractious and divided group of stakeholders that the council under Richard Cooper’s grip has consistently sought to divide and conquer, rather than bring together in common purpose. If this is the demise of Harrogate’s Dear Leader, then good riddance. I wouldn’t bet on it though, as word reaches me that the starting gun has fired in Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative Association on jockeying for selection for the new council seats. As ever in these matters the likely outcome is ‘different party, same guests.’
Thank goodness the Secretary of State rejected the so-called east-west bid, citing likely and significant disruption during the transition period. He makes the case that the unitary will benefit the county by between £58 and £61 millions per year. We can but hope the additional funds are spent wisely and in our interests. I’m in favour of the new authority. I want to pay one council tax to a single and accountable body. I want my local authority territory to match that of the pending re-organisation of the NHS, so that the council and Integrated Care Systems can work together in concert to promote public health, preventive care and to improve health equity and outcomes across our population.
I don’t buy the argument that the unitary will be ‘distant’ on the merits, any distance being in fact a product of our own lack of engagement and action. Local politicians have been quick to say they fear the new deal will lead to fewer voices standing up for local people. Call me cynical but I have an inkling that what they fear is that it won’t be their voice.
So, this August 1st I choose to celebrate the bravery of the Yorkshire Light Infantry at Minden and the emancipation vision of William Wilberforce. While perhaps not quite as perspicacious as Kingston-Upon-Hull’s famous son, we should celebrate too that the members of the Yorkshire Ridings Society circa 1975 knew and warned us that the two-tier system of local government was doomed to fail.
People in Harrogate are celebrating Yorkshire Day today and the Stray Ferret has been out to find out what the county means to them.
Yorkshire Day is an annual event which promotes and celebrates the county of Yorkshire
The day was first celebrated in 1975, and each year since, people have come together to celebrate all ‘God’s own county’ has to offer.
Yorkshire Rose
Here’s what people had to say when the Stray Ferret asked “what does Yorkshire mean to you?”
Andy Stanworth, who was born in Skipton and now lives in Harrogate, said:
“It should be its own country, we are bigger than Scotland and it’s just the best place there is.”
Meanwhile, Erica, who was born in Ilkley and lives in Harrogate, said
“It’s just amazing, and to have a day to celebrate the best county is very special… I’m a very proud Yorkshire woman.”
Yorkshire Day celebrations originally started with just a reading, but now the day is marked in many different ways. Mayors from across Yorkshire usually unite in one of the region’s towns or cities, but this year’s celebrations have been moved online because of the coronavirus crisis.
