York and North Yorkshire to be handed devolved powers in historic deal

A new combined authority is being created on Yorkshire Day in a historic deal giving powers to local communities in the area.

The deal, to be signed by Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark today, will allow York and North Yorkshire to elect a mayor and enable leave local leaders better equipped to deal with issues.

£540m will also be given to the mayor over the next 30 years which they can choose to invest in transport, housing and education.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark MP said: ‘Yorkshire Day 2022 is an historic one. It marks the return of powers and resources from London to much of the historic North Riding.

‘Levelling up – driving prosperity and opportunity in all parts of Britain – is done best when people locally can forge the future of their area. This deal is a big step in that direction.’

York and North Yorkshire is the first city and rural region to see devolution on the scale of the core city regions including South and West Yorkshire.

The mayor and local constituent councils will be able to invest in measures to boost the local economy, like skills development and support for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) businesses.

They will also be given £22.6m to build new homes on brownfield land, deliver affordable housing and drive green economic growth.

After the deal is made the mayor and local leaders will be able to regenerate the area through compulsory purchase powers and the mayor will take on the functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: ‘The chance to secure a host of decision-making powers as well as bringing in millions of pounds of investment for North Yorkshire is a huge opportunity to shape the future of the county for many years to come.

‘Whether it is improving skills and education, bringing in more investment to the region or helping improve transport links and providing much-needed affordable housing, the deal will enable us to take far greater control of our own destinies.

‘An elected mayor representing both York and North Yorkshire would be a powerful figure to have a seat at the table for further negotiations with the Government, bringing real and tangible benefits to the region.’

The agreement is the first of the 13 devolution negotiations incorporated in the Levelling Up White Paper to be completed, with other areas negotiating a deal including Cornwall, Norfolk and Leicestershire.

Photo by Karl Moran