North Yorkshire devolution, why big will not be best – Di Keal

The blind belief by Councillor Carl Les, the current leader, in a giant, unmanageable unitary authority, with a whopping 144 councillors, is driven by ideology rather than practical concern for residents in those district and borough councils that his ‘paymasters’ in the Government now want to abolish.

In Ryedale, local representation will be tiny on such a huge authority and it will be virtually impossible for any councillors to make their voices heard against the likes of Harrogate and Selby.

While the devolution deal that is on the table will be a welcome boost to the economy, and go some way to balancing the inequalities of the North-South divide, abolishing local district and borough councils is a high price to pay in terms of diminished democracy.

How Coun Les can claim the proposed changes will bring ‘maximum gain’ to everyone in the county is baffling when it will drive a ball and chain through local representation.

This is in no way a ‘drive towards localism’. Rather it is ripping away local voices in favour of a faceless, giant authority in Northallerton.

In his recent column in The Yorkshire Post, Coun Les portrayed his authority through deeply rose-tinted
glasses.

If everything in the garden is so lovely, why is North Yorkshire County Council depriving children in Ryedale of school bus places and making a farce of its alleged ‘green’ credentials by forcing more parents to drive their children to school?

Why do many of our most vulnerable children, who live with disabilities or conditions such as autism, still not have school placements agreed for September, or have had appropriate assessments and full care and support packages in place?

Why do our road repairs amount to no more than ‘sticking plaster’ – patching that blows out when the first hard winter frosts arrive?

The proposal to boost town and parish councils as part of the ‘deal’ is unrealistic and is likely to fall by the wayside, as the number of these bodies who will be willing and able to take on greater powers will predictably be very limited.

And why replace one layer of local government with another if the aim is to create one mega council? This aspect of the plan looks like just another empty promise.

The ‘mega-council’ option must be resisted by the district and borough councils, and we must stand firm against a Government determined to impose its will on North Yorkshire.

An alternative proposal is currently being worked up, which divides the county into two more manageable unitary authorities – not ideal, but better than the gigantic, one council option.

At least with this alternative, we have a fighting chance of ensuring Ryedale’s voice is heard and that we will get our fair share of the economic benefits 
the Government is offering the 
region.

Coun Les may be preaching in favour of simplicity via ‘one council’.

What he is actually arguing in favour of is a remote bureaucratic giant – and if people think it’s hard to contact the correct department at County Hall in Northallerton now, things can only get worse.

No local government reorganisation in history has ever ended up saving money.

Add into the mix the expensive of a new elected Mayor for North Yorkshire, complete with extensive entourage, and it will be taxpayers who will end up paying the price for the Government’s latest vanity project.

At the last district council elections, many Tory councillors stood on a ‘creating a unitary’ ticket – some are now realising that they should have been more careful in what they wished for.

Di Keal is leader of the Liberal Democrats on Ryedale District Council.

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