Fears that landmark devolution deal may be ditched
Decision on North Yorks may be made tomorrow
THE GOVERNMENT has been warned by senior politicians and business leaders not to abandon a landmark devolution deal for North Yorkshire, amid fears the long- awaited shake- up of decisionmaking powers is about to be aborted.
Speculation has emerged that senior Ministers are gravely concerned over the pressures that the biggest shake- up in local government in a generation for North Yorkshire would bring at a time that the nation is continuing to battle coronavirus.
The increasingly acrimonious Brexit trade deal talks between the UK and the European Union are also understood to have raised questions within the upper echelons of the Government over the timing to undertake such a momentous political decision for North Yorkshire.
The Yorkshire Post understands that a meeting is due to take place tomorrow between Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to decide whether to proceed with the devolution deal.
The leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Coun Carl Les, wrote to Mr Jenrick on Friday to express his “deepest concerns” that “a life- changing devolution deal” could be at risk.
In the letter seen by The Yorkshire Post, Coun Les said: “To be clear, this is the future and opportunity for more than 800,000 people at a critical moment, as we all strive to drive renewed economies and create jobs for people following the body blow delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.
“As you are aware, and amongst other pressures that we have been dealing with extremely effectively, we have been working hard with your Ministers and officials to secure a devolution deal for the benefit of everyone here.
“One that will level up life chances and outcomes for people across the county and seek to end the North- South divide, powering up the North so it can play its full part in the national economy and agenda.
“I am alarmed to hear that this deal could be at risk and want to say to you in the strongest possible terms that it is needed now, more than ever.”
The Government announced plans for a devolution deal for North Yorkshire in July, with the caveat that the current structure of the county council and seven district councils is replaced with a unitary authority.
Political leaders in North Yorkshire have looked on with envy as deals unlocking powers and billions of pounds in cash have been signed in West and South Yorkshire since the beginning of the year as Mr Johnson pushed ahead with his levelling- up agenda.
The York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s chairman, David Kerfoot, said: “A devolution deal would be transformative. We simply cannot let this opportunity slip away.”
THE LEADER of North Yorkshire County Council has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deliver on his pledge to level up the nation’s economy after fears emerged that a devolution deal for the county is in jeopardy.
The county council is spearheading a campaign to create a unitary authority spanning the whole of England’s largest county to allow a wide- ranging devolution deal to be agreed with the Government.
A bid document, which is being prepared, sets out a series of requests to the Government totalling £ 2.4bn which would be spent over a 30- year period on issues including infrastructure, rural transport, skills and education.
However, Coun Carl Les has warned the Government any decisiontohaltdevolutionforNorth Yorkshire would be a betrayal of voters who put their faith in Mr Johnson’s administration to tackle regional inequalities.
In a letter to Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, Coun Les said: “Devolution is already taking hold of our big cities and urban areas, we need to make sure that people who live in the other areas of the North, and who supported change at the last General Election, are not left behind. Rural areas such as North Yorkshire and Cumbria need to benefit too.
“As local government, we fully accept the principle of accountability. I have previously championed a mayor for One Yorkshire but was content to accept the Prime Minister’s clear view that Yorkshire needed separate deals.
“South Yorkshire has a deal, West Yorkshire’s was recently agreed, and Hull and East Riding are in advanced discussions – this part of Yorkshire must not be left out in the cold.”
Former Local Government Minister Simon Clarke announced plans for the North Yorkshire deal in July. But he stepped down from that ministerial role this month, and fears have been growing that the Government is about to ditch devolution for North Yorkshire.
The York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s chairman, David Kerfoot, said: “It has always been one of the biggest challenges that North Yorkshire does not have a devolution deal.
“It is clear the Government always looks to those areas of the country which have deals and elected mayors first. It has been very frustrating, and at the moment, I do feel North Yorkshire is very much in a second division.
“We have the chance to move forward with devolution, and the prize is huge. We are so near to getting a deal and I do not want to see that golden prize disappear.
“It would be life- changing for the whole of North Yorkshire.”
Council leaders were told by Mr Clarke that to unlock a devolution deal, North Yorkshire’s eight county and district councils must be scrapped for one or more unitary authorities. The county council is behind plans for a single unitary authority, while the seven district councils are proposing two east/ west authorities either side of the A1. York Council would remain a unitary authority under the proposals, but with closer links to the new structure of local government.
In his letter to Mr Jenrick, Coun Les added: “I ask you to keep to your commitment for devolution for the North, follow up on your promises and ask of us, and deliver for all of Yorkshire.
“Do not leave North Yorkshire and York behind – we need to move on now.”
This part of Yorkshire must not be left out in the cold. Carl Les, the leader of North Yorkshire County Council.