A working group of town and parish council representatives will meet for the first time tomorrow to explore and develop new sets of powers for towns and parishes as part of a future unitary government structure for North Yorkshire.
The group of 23 councillors and clerks from towns and parishes across North Yorkshire has been set up after over 250 town and parish council representatives recently attended a seminar held by North Yorkshire County Council to learn how they could take on new powers to boost grass-root decision making and empower local communities.
The county council has been developing a proposal for a single unitary council for North Yorkshire which says it would involve working in stronger partnership with town and parish councils and parish meetings.
The Government is requiring an end to two-tier government in North Yorkshire to secure a devolution deal for a York and North Yorkshire combined mayoral authority.
The county council is proposing a single council which will end the duplication of a two-tier system.
Under the county council proposal, town and parish councils would be able to take on additional powers and budget if they want them – such as control of markets and street trading; management of their parks and open spaces; leisure and tourism and arts and cultural provision.
County council officials say people, voluntary organisations and businesses would also be given a louder voice via 25 community networks based around market town areas.
Area constituency committees would make decisions on things including planning and licensing.
County Councillor Carl Les, North Yorkshire’s leader, said: “I was a parish councillor for many years and I attend parish council meetings. Parish councils are the salt of the earth and I enjoy working closely with them. I have been very impressed over the years with the ambition and achievements of Bedale town council which is the nearest market town to where I have lived all my life and I hope town councils will be interested in taking on more powers – but it is up to them.
“We believe this double devolution which passports powers from Whitehall to the town hall and the town hall to the village hall is an exciting prospect. We are seeking more powers from the government, but we want more powers to be devolved to the very local area as well. We want to bring people together to get more things done at a local level.”
Ian Blakemore, a town councillor for Stokesley, said he was aware of plans for making changes and that councillors were considering all the options.
He said: “Speaking as a resident, it makes sense for things such as highways, children’s services and waste to be delivered at scale, so that towns and parishes can get on with the things that matter to them at their local level.
“I sense frustration from members of the public in Stokesley about not being clear which council is responsible for what service and having a single council for North Yorkshire makes sense.
“However, the increasing number of people who have stepped up to volunteer in Stokesley in recent years shows that there is a real drive to make things happen at the local level, and we now have an opportunity to build on that. Ensuring we have the resource and connections to do that is critical.”
The county’s seven district and borough authorities have come up with alternative proposals which would see North Yorkshire split into two.
These councils say the county council’s proposal would lead to a ‘mega’ authority which would be too large to be effective.
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