North Yorkshire must not be broken in two by divisive district council plan - Carl Les

North Yorkshire is at an historic turning point. Elected representatives will soon cast their votes on the future shape of our local government. The consequences of their decisions could be felt for generations. The plan we have advanced promises a platform for growth and prosperity. The alternative runs a real risk of disruption.

In response to an invitation from central government, North Yorkshire County Council is bidding to secure the strongest possible devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York while getting rid of unnecessary waste in the existing two-tier system of local government.

And unlike the divisive approach put forward by the district councils, we are able to maintain the delivery without disrupting essential public services to the youngest and oldest alike, the people who rely on us the most.

Our residents are important to us. We exist to serve them. With their input we are proposing to make these changes for them, for their benefit, to better hear their voice, to protect their economic well-being.

North Yorkshire County Council already delivers nationally acclaimed services to every home in the county. Our bid for a single, new unitary council to serve all our residents and businesses is based on a wealth of local knowledge and experience, dating back to 1974.

Our case for change has not been developed in isolation from reality, or outsourced to consultants. Our experienced and dedicated officers have collaborated closely with members of the public, partner agencies, the business community, the voluntary sector and grassroots organisations to produce our case for change. We have had our financial case examined by external experts to ensure it is sound, but other than that our bid is home grown.

At a time when every penny counts, we will save at least £30m a year by cutting waste, unnecessary costs and needless duplication. Over five years, our proposal has the potential to save more than £250m. We will plough this money back into the communities and causes in the greatest need of investment.

Alongside this transformation we will give a new voice to residents and businesses by bringing them together around their local market town in community networks to identify and, with the new council, tackle the issues that matter to them. We will have main offices in every district area and more than 30 other physical access points for council services in all our main communities.

North Yorkshire is a great footprint to delivery great countywide services. We know this because we already do it. Our children’s services are outstanding. Our adult services nationally acclaimed. It would be an irresponsible act to break these up. Our case for change sets out how we will build on these successes and replicate them across all services. Our residents and businesses deserve nothing less.

Education leaders are backing our bid. Ian Yapp, chief education officer at the STAR Multi-Academy Trust and chair of the North Yorkshire Schools Forum, said: “I would consider it indefensible to create deliberate upheaval to our education system, especially over the coming months when recovery must be our focus.”

Business leaders are showing their support too. Bryn Sage, chief executive of Inhealthcare, the Harrogate-based provider of national digital health services, said: “Like technology, local government needs scale to succeed and deliver responsive services to growing businesses like ours. Now is not the time for unnecessary disruption or delay.”

Another big name, Gordon Gibb, CEO of Flamingo Land Ltd, added: “As one of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, we know the value of the North Yorkshire brand and its importance to the regional economy.”

We know North Yorkshire enjoys one of the strongest identities of any English county. This identity is recognised the world over for its remarkable culture and sense of community, its beautiful landscapes and its powerful brands.

A single unitary authority will maximise all of this value while protecting these natural assets to create the conditions for recovery and prosperity.

It will give us the strongest possible voice on the national stage. As Mr Maxwell said, growth is optional. Let’s make the right choice. North Yorkshire must not be broken in two.

Carl Les is leader of North Yorkshire County Council. He is a Conservative councillor.

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