The New North Yorkshire Unitary Authority

On 31 May, a capacity audience of society members heard Wallace Sampson and Cllr Graham Swift (Chief Executive and deputy leader respectively of Harrogate Borough Council) describe the process leading to the creation of a new council for North Yorkshire.
In April next year (2023), all seven district councils, including Harrogate, will cease to exist. Among the matters to be discussed in the period ahead will be a decision on the creation of a town council for Harrogate, and what powers and responsibilities it might have. Our speakers described the process by which a town council might be set up, namely a ’community governance review’. Finally, there would be a move towards devolution, involving an elected mayor for North Yorkshire and York. It suggested that this could unlock around £2.4 billion of investment over 30 years.