What devolution means for York
A York and North Yorkshire devolution proposal to form a Mayoral Combined Authority together with new powers and more funding, was agreed by the council together with:
- North Yorkshire Council
- Craven District Council
- Hambleton District Council
- Harrogate Borough Council
- Scarborough Borough Council
- Selby District Council
- Richmondshire District Council
- Ryedale District Council
Following government consultation on local government reorganisation it was announced in July 2021 that North Yorkshire Council and the seven district and borough councils would be replaced by a new, single unitary council for North Yorkshire in April 2023, with City of York Council remaining as it is.
Devolution deal
We have continued to work closely in partnership with the current councils and the new North Yorkshire Council to unlock a devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire.
An agreement reached between the councils on the range of proposals (known as 'the asks') was submitted to the government and formed the basis of the proposed devolution deal.
The proposed deal was signed by council Leader, Councillor Keith Aspden, the Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Councillor Carl Les, and Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities of the United Kingdom.
The proposed deal from government, agreed on Yorkshire Day (1 August 2022), is worth £750 million to York and North Yorkshire. If agreed by Full Council, it would see an elected mayor for the region, leading a new mayoral combined authority. That new mayoral combined authority would receive devolved funding for transport, education, and business support, and could invest upwards of £95 million a year in York and North Yorkshire.
With such new levels of investment on offer, this 30-year deal could unlock growth and innovation and help us tackle local challenges, such as affordable housing and low wages. It could also be used to support an ambitious target to be England’s first carbon negative region.
More specifically, the proposed deal includes:
- £18 million per year in Gainshare funding over 30 years to invest in local priorities
- subject to a full business case, investment of up to £50 million to support and deliver the York Central brownfield regeneration scheme
- £7 million investment to enable York and North Yorkshire to drive green economic growth towards the ambition to become a carbon negative region
- investment of up to £2.65 million of projects to deliver affordable, low carbon homes
- £13 million for the building of new homes on brownfield land across 2023/24 and 2024/25
- a commitment to establish a working group to support the development of BioYorkshire
- new powers from government to drive regeneration and build more affordable homes
- new transport powers to improve and integrate the regional transport network
Some decisions, such as those about foreign policy and defence, need to be made by central Government alone. However, with devolution, many other decisions, such as running and investing in our public transport, education and skills and providing support for our regional and local businesses, could be made by elected representatives from your region who are part of the community living and working in York and North Yorkshire.
This means that your local government, which has a clear understanding of the priorities and issues of your region, would have the power to make strategic financial and economic decisions to best benefit you and the local area.
Decisions about local council services will continue to be taken at a York level.
Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships
York is a member of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
We're also a non-constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, meaning we can contribute and benefit as a member but can’t vote on all issues.
LEPs are voluntary business-led partnerships of local businesses, local authorities, and other partners to promote economic growth across a 'functional economic geography'. LEPs can bid for funding from government through ‘Growth Deals’.
Combined Authorities are statutory bodies within which local authorities work together to deliver economic development, regeneration, and transport functions. The idea is that if local authorities work together on these issues, they can work more effectively.
A key difference between LEPs and Combined Authorities is that as Combined Authorities are statutory bodies they can act as accountable bodies for funding from Government.