Levelling up plan ‘fails to aid rural economy’

Calls for better transport and digital connectivity

THE GOVERNMENT has been warned that its showpiece policy to tackle glaring regional inequalities risks alienating countryside communities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s premiership has laid its foundations on the promise to pursue an agenda to level up the UK’s economy, and tackle the deeply-ingrained divide between the North and South of England.

However, leading figures in the North have voiced concerns that the Government has not fully recognised the multi-billion pound importance of the rural economy.

Data provided exclusively to The Yorkshire Post by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, which is a leading voice of business and civic leaders in the North, has shown how towns with vast rural catchment areas are lagging behind major towns and cities.

An index has shown that Malton, one of the region’s best performing market towns, has seen its Gross Value Added (GVA) per filled job rise from a score of 73.9 to 84.4 from 2009 to 2019, but this falls significantly short of the national average of 100.

In coastal towns such as Whitby, the GVA per filled job has fallen in the same 10-year period from 64.7 to 59.8 – a reduction of -7.6 per cent.

The partnership’s director, Henri Murison, said: “If we want to solve the problems of regional inequalities, the whole economic picture needs to be considered. The countryside is very much part of the system, and has to be an integral part in the way forward for levelling up.”

The long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper, which was published on Wednesday last week, has been trumpeted as a blueprint for bringing an economic boost across the whole country.

But the 332-page document confirmed a further report for levelling up in rural areas will now be published in the spring.

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has set out a fivepoint plan for how the vastly rural area of North Yorkshire would benefit from issues including improved transport infrastructure and digital connectivity as well as more affordable housing.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers and rural businesses in England and Wales, has urged Ministers to embrace the rural economy to benefit the whole country. According to research by the CLA, the rural economy is 18 per cent less productive than the national average, and reducing the gap could add up to £43bn to the economy.

The rural lobby group’s president, Mark Tufnell, told The Yorkshire Post: “There needs to be a clearly defined strategy for the whole country to make sure that urban and rural areas can both benefit from the Government’s levelling up agenda.”

CONSERVATIVE POLITICIANS in Yorkshire have called on the Government to unlock the potential of the region’s rural economy as talks are about to begin on a landmark devolution deal.

North Yorkshire is being seen as a template for how a vastly rural area can take full advantage of the move to shift powers away from Westminster into the regions which is a key element of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s levelling up agenda.

Sources close to the proposed devolution deal for the county have told The Yorkshire Post that discussions are due to begin on Monday between North Yorkshire’s representatives and civil servants in Whitehall.

The talks are aimed at putting in place a single unitary authority in North Yorkshire to replace the existing county council and seven district authorities in April 2023 to pave the way for a multi-billion pound devolution deal.

Tory-led North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Carl Les, said the deal, which would provide decision-making powers for transport, education and housing, would create the “first city region rural powerhouse”.

He added: “Devolution can unlock significant long term investment for the region, driving growth and contributing to a stronger northern economy.

“It has the potential to bring about improvements in public transport and transport infrastructure, support for business, greater connectivity, education and skills – benefiting the people who live and work here.

“A devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire as the first city region rural powerhouse could also help deliver an ambition for this region to become England’s first carbon negative economy.”

A five-point plan has been drawn up by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership outlining key aims that should drive the discussions for the devolution deal.

The lobby group has highlighted the need for enhanced public transport, with improved rail services to Scarborough and better bus services centred on York, while also introducing longawaited upgrades to the A64, which is the main route to the coast in North Yorkshire.

The partnership has also called for improved connectivity for broadband and mobile phone coverage, building on work by the county council which is already under way to introduce superfast internet across North Yorkshire.

The need for more affordable housing has been highlighted, with higher targets imposed in countryside developments than in urban areas to help counter the soaring property costs.

Data from the National Housing Federation have shown the average cost of a property in the Harrogate district is £353,121 – the highest in the region – while the average wage is £31,814. The average cost of a property nationally is £309,678, while the average price of a home in the region is £197,743.

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership also stressed the need to recognise the importance of workers living in villages but who commute to towns and cities. The partnership’s director, Henri Murison, said “knowledge intensive” workers in the countryside should be seen as a vital resource as much as workers in more traditional rural businesses, such as tourism and farming.

The Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake, highlighted the critical need for an upgrade to the A64, and has been involved in talks with leading organisations including the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership to ensure the improvements become a reality.

He said: “Devolution and an elected mayor for York and North Yorkshire will avoid setting city against the rural areas as our interests in driving up productivity are shared.

“Along with better rail services and demand response bus services, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership is backing the case I have been making throughout my time in Parliament for investment in our county and the North as a whole.”