Views wanted on area’s devolution
A major public consultation on North Yorkshire devolution has been launched with businesses and members of the public urged to take part.
From April 2023, ScarboroughCouncilwillceasetoexist when a new North Yorkshire Council will replace borough councils in the region, and members of the public have beeninvitedtogivetheirviews on the upcoming changes.
Plans for devolution will see the election of a mayor for the entire county, alongside plans for increased decisionmaking and greater investment on a regional level in North Yorkshire.
The consultation will be
open until December 16 and asks respondents about several issues ranging from the role and power of the mayor,
financialfunctions,transport, to fighting climate change.
According to North YorkshireCountyCouncil,thedraft devolutiondealoffersmillions of pounds in funding to provide better roads and public transport, improved education and job opportunities, andboostedeconomicgrowth.
Although £540m of investment has been promised for North Yorkshire as part of the devolution deal, some Scarborough councillors have expresseddisappointmentatthe amount that has been pledged by the Government.
Speaking at a meeting of Scarborough Council on September 5, Cllr Carl Maw said: “The main problem we have with it is that some of the proposed funding is not particularlyadequate–£540mover30 years is about £18m a year and with a population of around 900,000 in York and North Yorkshire, it equates to about £20 a head per year.”