North Yorkshire and York Devolution deal signed
The corner stone for levelling up and Local Government reorganisation.
I am delighted that today on 1 August, Yorkshire Day, the devolution deal has been signed which sets how Yorkshire will be given £540m of central Government funding to drive growth.
The deal was signed on behalf of Government by Greg Clark MP, who said
"Today, I signed a historic devolution deal between the Government and the local authorities of City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council.
The York and North Yorkshire devolution deal concludes the first of 13 planned negotiations announced in the Levelling Up White Paper. It represents the first step towards achieving our local leadership mission to “extend, deepen and simplify devolution across England” so that by 2030, every part of England that wants a devolution deal will have one with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution with a simplified, long-term funding settlement.
Subject to Parliamentary approval, and local consultation and ratification by the councils, the deal will enable the creation of a new mayoral combined authority and the election of a mayor in May 2024.
The newly elected mayor and mayoral combined authority will have control over significant new funding streams as well as key powers on transport, housing and education. Key features of the deal include:
- Control of a £540 million investment fund in total over 30 years to drive growth and take forward local priorities over the longer term, giving the mayor and local constituent councils more flexibility to decide how best to spend money on key local priorities.
- New powers to improve and better integrate local transport, including the ability to introduce bus franchising, and an integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25.
- Powers to better improve local skills to ensure these meet the needs of the local economy. This will include devolution of Adult Education functions and the core Adult Education Budget and contribute to the Local Skills Improvement Plan.
- Over £22.6 million to support the building of new homes on brownfield land, deliver affordable homes, and drive green economic growth across York and North Yorkshire.
- Powers to drive the regeneration of the area and to build more affordable, more beautiful homes, including compulsory purchase powers and the ability to establish Mayoral Development Corporations.
- The mayor will take on role and functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. With dynamic local leadership, long-term investment, and better-connected local services the deal will unlock improvements in the economic, social and environmental outcomes for over 800,000 people living in York and North Yorkshire.
Importantly, the deal will mean that more of the decisions which matter to people – on transport, housing, and skills – will be taken by locally elected, democratically accountable leaders.
I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues over the coming weeks to progress this important agenda.
RT HON GREG CLARK MP
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
