New North Yorkshire Council's priorities revealed for boosting county and overcoming financial challenges

Creating new jobs, tackling climate change and ensuring families can afford to buy their own homes are high on the list of key priorities set out in the detailed plan for the new council which will launch in April as part of the biggest overhaul of local government in North Yorkshire since 1974.

Senior councillors on North Yorkshire County Council’s decision-making executive will meet next Tuesday, January 24 to discuss the plan, which has been drawn up to take into account the thousands of views given last year during one of the biggest public engagements ever undertaken by councils in North Yorkshire.

The draft plan’s economic priorities include developing skills for emerging industries including the cyber, bioeconomy and low carbon sectors.

Employment locations are identified on main routes including the A1, the A64 and the M62, with development at Flaxby to the east of Harrogate, an expansion of the Pickering industrial estate and the redevelopment of the sites of the former Kellingley Colliery and Eggborough Power Station.

But the leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Coun Carl Les, who will assume the leadership of the new authority, is also warning that the new council will face immense financial pressure on budgets with a shortfall of more than £30 million predicted for its first financial year alone.

“This plan sets out our vision, ambitions and priorities for North Yorkshire and the approach we are taking to achieve them,” said Coun Les.

"We are committed to delivering high-performing and value-for-money services.

“While the creation of this new unitary authority is an exciting opportunity for North Yorkshire to transform services, drive innovation and improve outcomes, we recognise the significant challenges we face in the years ahead due to the tough fiscal climate and unprecedented demand on services, especially in adult social care and services for children and young people."

The new council will be launched following the merger of the county council and the seven district and borough authorities to pave the way for a long-awaited devolution deal, with the Government due to hand decision-making powers and millions of pounds in funding to local political leaders.

One of the biggest themes for the new council will be how it will serve communities to deliver services ranging from education and highways to waste collection and disposal, planning and economic development.

Residents will be given simpler and easier access to services which will be overseen by a single organisation, instead of the current structure of the county council and seven district and borough authorities.

There will also be a single website and phone number for communities to access support and services.

A main office is due to be retained in each area to provide public access to locally-based staff.

A network of local access points in towns and villages is also set to be established.

“We will encourage more involvement from local people and partners by championing local action and creating opportunities for local communities to come together to identify solutions and develop their own priorities,” said Coun Les.

“We also recognise that many of the challenges we face cannot be delivered by a single agency alone and as such we will work closely with our local partners, other public sector organisations, businesses, and communities.”

The scale of the new council’s operations will see it have an overall spend of about £1.4 billion, including £343 million on schools, and work will be undertaken on a major strategy to balance the authority’s books.

Alongside the highest rate of inflation for 40 years, the financial pressures facing the county’s new authority have been compounded by the aftershocks of the pandemic as well as the effects of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Road improvements detailed in the draft plan include the multi-million pound Kex Gill project to the west of Harrogate, which is set to see the A59 re-routed following a series of landslips in one of the most ambitious projects of its kind ever undertaken in North Yorkshire.

Improving public transport and increasing active travel such as walking and cycling will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which lead to climate change, along with increasing recycling rates and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

The new council aims to be carbon neutral by 2030.

It also acknowledges the need to attract new businesses while developing traditional sectors such as farming and tourism, and ensuring there are the best career opportunities available for young people so they continue to live in North Yorkshire.

The affordable homes crisis in North Yorkshire will be alleviated through major house-building projects to help to ensure that families and young people have the opportunity to buy their own homes in the county.

The draft plan includes details for safeguarding both vulnerable adults and children and ensuring the best possible opportunities for almost 83,000 children who attend schools and nurseries, including more than 11,000 pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

If executive members approve the draft Council Plan, it will be considered at a full council meeting next month before being adopted.

The public’s views and priorities which have fed into the draft plan were gathered during consultations about the new council and devolution carried out under the Let’s Talk banner last year.