Fears 'life-changing' devolution deal for North Yorkshire could be shelved amid coronavirus and Brexit pressures

Speculation has emerged that senior Ministers within the Cabinet are gravely concerned over the pressures that the biggest shake-up in local government in a generation for North Yorkshire would bring at a time that the nation is continuing to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The increasingly acrimonious Brexit trade deal talks between the UK and the European Union are also understood to have raised questions within the upper echelons of the Government over the timing to undertake such a momentous political decision for North Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Post understands that a meeting is due to take place tomorrow between Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to decide whether to proceed with the devolution deal.

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Coun Carl Les, wrote to Mr Jenrick on Friday to express his “deepest concerns” that “a life-changing devolution deal” could be at risk.

In the letter seen by The Yorkshire Post, Coun Les said: “To be clear this is the future and opportunity for more than 800,000 people at a critical moment, as we all strive to drive renewed economies and create jobs for people following the body blow delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.

“As you are aware, and amongst other pressures that we have been dealing with extremely effectively, we have been working hard with your Ministers and officials to secure a devolution deal for the benefit of everyone here.

“One that will level up life chances and outcomes for people across the county and seek to end the North-South divide, powering up the North so it can play its full part in the national economy and agenda.

“I am alarmed to hear that this deal could be at risk and want to say to you in the strongest possible terms that it is needed now, more than ever.”

The Government announced plans for a devolution deal for North Yorkshire in July, with the caveat that the current structure of the county council and seven district councils is replaced with a unitary authority.

Political leaders in North Yorkshire have looked on with envy as deals unlocking powers and billions of pounds in cash have been signed in West and South Yorkshire since the beginning of the year as Mr Johnson pushed ahead with his levelling-up agenda.

The chairman of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, David Kerfoot, said: “A devolution deal would be transformative. We simply cannot let this opportunity slip away.”

But the drive to shift powers away from Westminster remains at the heart of Mr Johnson’s pledge to level up the nation, the Government has stressed.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is aiming to give “more power to communities, providing opportunities for them to enjoy devolution”.

A spokesman said: “There will be no blanket abolishment of district councils and no top-down restructuring of local government.

“The devolution White Paper, which will be published this autumn, will set out our detailed plans and we continue to work closely with local areas to establish solutions to local government reform.”