A North Yorkshire mayor will have too much power – Yorkshire Post Letters

CONSOLIDATION of local government into ever larger units is supposed to save money and make services more efficient but longer lines of communication can make local government less responsive to local needs.  

These changes are being mooted so that North Yorkshire can be ruled by someone called a “Mayor”. It seems to me that most major local government blunders and scandals in recent years have been caused by too much power being put into too few hands.   Now we are looking at a proposal to concentrate more power in one individual, who would have more money and more authority to “get things done”.  

My fear is that there would be fewer safeguards against misguided road schemes and other unsuitable developments.

Some months ago, an argument was made that more “Mayors” were needed with greater powers of compulsory purchase to overcome “fragmentation” of ownership of properties in order to facilitate major developments.  

Is this what local small traders and residents would like to see?

From: Dilys Cluer, Scarborough Green Party.

IF local government is re-organised so that we end up with a unitary authority, we need to have a town council for Scarborough.

Everywhere else in the borough has parish councils to look after the most local matters, but Scarborough does not. I do not agree with the system of elected mayors, which puts too much power in the hands of one person, and I’m not happy about the prospect of local government becoming less local with the change to large unitary authorities.

But if that has to happen, at least we should have a town council, which could represent us to the higher council on matters such as planning and transport issues, for instance.

And while they are about it, the Government could improve democracy tremendously by allowing us a proportional representation system of election to the new unitary authorities.

That would make ordinary voters feel that their vote counts and stop the drift away from involvement in public affairs.

From: John Freeman, Market Place, Whitby.

IT is interesting to watch the discussions regarding devolution and how we in Whitby will be represented. 

It certainly looks as though our days being neglected by Scarborough Borough Council may be coming to an end but who will gain this jewel of the Yorkshire coast? Various alternatives are being floated, largely focusing on how to divide the county up and how York city should be involved. Maybe we, as a town, should look a little further north if and when we get to have a say in who governs us.

From: Dave Ellis, Magdalen Lane, Hedon.

IS Welcome to Yorkshire sustainable under its new management? We need new ideas to encourage other types of visitors, other than cyclists, from around the world.

Can Peter Box, the chair, publish the annual accounts for 2018 and 2019 and indicate where monies have been spent? These questions need to answered as residents in Yorkshire seem to be putting funds into a bottomless pit.

Local lesson in lockdown

From: Steve McGivern, Lealholm.

WE will all have learnt different things during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

One thing that became absolutely obvious  is the value of local shops and stores when supermarkets failed to meet the demands of doorstep deliveries.

Seeing these shopkeepers working all hours to meet demands for essentials leads me to hope that people remember these efforts. Many are already under huge pressure due to second home and holiday lets where visitors arrive fully stocked for the week, as well as the continuing expansion of click and deliver. Perhaps the old slogan of ‘‘a dog is for life, not just Christmas’’ could be adapted to ‘‘local shops are for always and not just for global pandemic lockdown’’ – or next time they will simply not be there.

From: John Wade, Harrogate.

THERE is now a road block on Leeds Road, Harrogate, for the next six or more weeks.

This will cause serious traffic hold-ups, delays, frustration but, more important, loss of business.

The town centre and Leeds Road shops have been wrecked by the pandemic, the town centre badly affected by parking fees, and now, just when we may expect to see an improvement, the roads are closed or blocked.

One seriously wonders why our councillors, elected to promote Harrogate, allow this, and even whether there is a plan to wreck the town.

I am sure I am not alone in being appalled.

From: Derek Hirst, Halifax.

WHAT on earth are our councillors thinking about? With our shops and businesses struggling to survive in these straightened times, they decide to add two more hours to the parking limits and to include them on Sundays.

Surely it would have made more sense to allow us more time to visit town centres to help with the recovery of our economy instead of imposing more restrictions, and now to include every day of the week?

Common sense has gone out of the window.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor.