North Yorkshire to have single unitary council

North Yorkshire will have a single authority.

The government has announced that it plans to replace North Yorkshire's county and district councils with a single council covering the whole county.

North Yorkshire currently has a two-tier system of local government, with a county council and seven district councils underneath it.

They are due to be scrapped, to be replaced with one unitary council providing all services. The City of York will remain separate.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said this proposal "strongly met" all of the government's criteria, as it's likely to improve services, commands a good deal of local support and has a credible geography.

A public consultation took place in the spring, with people also asked to consider a proposal put forward by existing district councils.

That would have seen two new unitary councils:

  • one in the west, comprising the areas of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate and Richmondshire;

  • one in the east, comprising Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby and the City of York.

Mr Jenrick said that proposal appeared unlikely to improve services and did not have a credible geography.

This decision now requires parliamentary approval, with the ambition that the new unitary council would take over from the existing authorities on 1 April 2023.

Mr Jenrick reiterated the government's enthusiasm for devolving more powers to local leaders, after the Prime Minister said last week that directly-elected mayors could be established for counties, as well as cities.