A widely anticipated Mayoral Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire bringing extra powers and money for the area should be based in York if it gets the two councils’ backing, according to Labour.
The Government’s current devolution policy means almost no money and powers being devolved down from Whitehall without an elected Mayor.
That means if York is to back the devolution deal on the table, a Mayor will be elected and require a new base, along with up to 100 staff members the Office will include through incorporating both the Local Enterprise Partnership and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner functions.
Main Opposition Labour Group Leader, Cllr Claire Douglas said:
“It remains to be seen whether or not the two councils give this deal their backing. The money and powers on offer reflect the Government’s rigid position, for England at least, to remain one of the most centralised of all advanced democracies in the world. But should the deal gain approval, we are calling on City of York Council to get its act together and make the case for having the Mayoral Combined Authority based here in York.
“From those we speak with who’re familiar with the devolution process, there is quite a lot of concern that should a Mayor be elected with significantly more votes from North Yorkshire than York, this could translate into North Yorkshire seeing the lion’s share of investment. Basing a new Combined Authority in York would go some way towards countering that fear, and reflect the importance of York as the key economic centre for the entire area.
“In the initial period running up to May 2024 and if agreed, we think both councils should be providing capacity to ensure that the Combined Authority area has investment projects ready and waiting for Government funding, opportunities that are fully developed.
“York is particularly well connected by rail, meaning getting to and from London to make the case for investment with Ministers would be straight forward. These can seem like small details but can make a big difference when dealing with the Government”.
A number of sites could be suitable to host the Mayor and Combined Authority, from West Offices, across the road from the rail station and York Central, to potentially locating on the York Central site itself.
Councillor Douglas said it’s crucial that should a decision to elect a Mayor win approval, that the Lib Dem-Green controlled council acts swiftly to add capacity and to establish options for a base for the MCA in York.
“If this doesn’t happen, I fear the MCA will gradually emerge out of North Yorkshire County Council. That could be bad news for York. If this is to work, it has to function in the best interests of York residents”, she added.
“The Tories already have previous for funnelling money towards their own affluent areas through both the Towns Fund and the Levelling Up Fund, so if the Lib Dem led Council takes its eye off the ball, there’s a good indication of what could happen”.