A TOTAL of 1,943 people took part in a survey on a proposed devolution deal for North Yorkshire.
The consultation was to collect the public’s views on a proposed devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire as part of the ‘Let’s Talk’ consultation, which also gathered views on North Yorkshire Council’s financial priorities and how it will best serve the public and work at a local level.
Under the proposed devolution deal, a Metro Mayor would be elected to oversee the combined authority.
Despite North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) branding the Let’s Talk consultation the “biggest public consultation ever undertaken by councils in North Yorkshire”, just 0.3 per cent of the county's population completed the devolution element of the survey in full.
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NYCC’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, however, said that the number was high when compared to other consultations.
“The devolution element of Let’s Talk was particularly successful, with the public engagement in York and North Yorkshire out-performing similar consultations elsewhere,” he said.
The eight-week consultation was launched on October 21 and ran until December 16 last year (2022), and views were gathered through face-to-face engagement events, an online survey and via letters and emails.
According to a county council spokesperson, a total of 54 per cent of respondents online either strongly supported or supported the proposed governance of the mayoral combined authority, while 32 per cent were opposed or strongly opposed with the remainder not expressing a view or stating they did not know.
A total of 63 per cent of respondents online either strongly supported or supported plans for the proposed combined authority to work with the Government on climate change, while 23 per cent were opposed or strongly opposed with the remainder not expressing a view or stating they did not know.
Concerns raised
Concerns were raised by respondents about ensuring the mayoral combined authority remains democratically accountable to the electorate, especially as it will serve such a vast area across England’s largest county.
Other respondents voiced reservations that a top tier of local government was being introduced with the combined authority over-arching both the new North Yorkshire Council and the existing City of York Council.
Cllr Carl Les, who will also lead the new North Yorkshire Council, said: “The mayor is due to be elected by residents of York and North Yorkshire so they would be directly accountable to the electorate at the ballot box.
"Beyond that, their activities will be scrutinised by an overview and scrutiny committee.”
Members to advance proposals
Members of NYCC’s executive will meet next week when they are due to endorse plans to send the results of the public engagement to Ministers to progress proposals to create a mayoral combined authority, which is due to be established towards the end of this year.
Cllr Les said: “The prospect of a devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire is a huge opportunity that will bring benefits to hundreds of thousands of people that will be felt for generations to come.
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“We have the opportunity to take a greater control of our futures, with greater prosperity through new jobs and better skills and education and the chance to tackle long-standing issues such as a lack of affordable housing and the growing threat of climate change.”
See full results of the public engagement on the proposed devolution deal.
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