Skaith sets out goals for York and North Yorkshire
A 10-year economic growth plan and action on public transport across the new combined authority area are front of mind, said Mayor David Skaith, now three months into the role.
Skaith took up office on 7 May, becoming the first elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and figurehead of the newly formed York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
He said: “My role, and that of the new Combined Authority, brings devolved powers and £540m of investment over 30 years for York and North Yorkshire. That gives us the opportunity to shape our region into a vibrant place, full of opportunity.
“I’m pleased by the progress we have made so far. An economic framework – the foundation for the Combined Authority’s strategic work and planning – has been approved, and £27.5m has been agreed in principle to progress funds across key areas of work.”
The economic framework was signed off at Y&NYCA’s meeting in late July, going before the members with a report by the body’s head of strategy Andrew Leeming.
As a framework, the document speaks mainly of thematic priorities and over-arching goals rather than specifics, but does point to key priorities, among them sustainable and affordable transport, and sustainable and affordable homes.
Alongside these early pieces of work, a series of agenda-shaping meetings with businesses and communities have taken place. Y&NYCA said that a number of milestones have been hit in the three months since the May election:
- Four new funds worth up to £27.5m agreed in principle. The Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets, Carbon Negative Challenge Fund, Business Innovation Fund and Skills Innovation Fund aim to enable growth across the region and test new ideas.
- Recruitment launched for business board
- Progress of brownfield housing fund, with phase two projects approved for funding during July. Overall, £11m has been allocated to help build more than 1,000 homes on brownfield sites in the region – 433 of them affordable.
- Invest in York and North Yorkshire partnership, a driver for inward investment, has been launched, with the Mayor identifying six key sectors.
Skaith said that consultation will launch later this year on a 10-year economic growth plan, to be supported by the new business board.
The election of Skaith, the Labour candidate in a part of the region historically regarded as conservative-leaning – and a rare bird among England’s combined authorities, featuring urban, rural and coastal communities – was a sign of things to come in the General Election.
Although the Starmer government elected in July is still in its early days, Skaith said dialogue is up and running:
“We’ve had positive meetings with the new government about the prospect of deeper devolution and further investment for York and North Yorkshire, and closer working is taking place with my fellow Mayors around the country.
“Our region is unique among other devolved areas. That will help our growth potential and we can also become a trailblazer for rural economies.”
Launched in February, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has a membership of City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, sitting over the existing work of the local authorities and taking a lead on bigger picture areas such as transport, skills and economic development.
Among the projects touched on thus far by Skaith is a £10m high street improvement scheme in Thirsk and a visit to Harworth’s Gascoigne Interchange, a 1.5m sq ft logistics project with the potential to be a “gamechanger” for its locale.
