Conflicting tale of two cities

York is close to allying itself with Leeds, Bradford and other West Yorkshire metropolitan authorities in a combined super council.

The city council’s ruling Labour group argue that membership of the proposed West Yorkshire Combined Authority would potentially give York access to millions of pounds of funding for major transport projects the city would not otherwise be able to tap into.

Membership of the new authority would also make it possible to share some services – reducing the cost to the local taxpayer, Labour says.

But the opposition Conservatives claim Labour is rushing headlong into a union with metropolitan West Yorkshire cities such as Leeds and Bradford with which York has little in common – and warn that we run the risk of being ‘swallowed up’ by them. At the very least, York people should be consulted first, they say. Here, Labour council leader James Alexander and Conservative opposition leader Ian Gillies argue the case for and against joining the super council.

In a separate panel, we look at the pros and cons – and explain how you, the residents of York, can have your say…

YES says York’s Labour council leader, James Alexander

I’m sure your readers will have noticed, I don’t normally praise the Conservative Liberal Democrat Government.

However some praise is due. The Government has a flagship policy of devolving powers and funding to England’s biggest cities through their “city deal” programme.

This includes the Leeds City Region. They recognise decisions are better made in Yorkshire and not in London and this saves money.

The previous Liberal Democrat council signalled their intention to take York into an economic alliance with the Leeds region (an alliance known as the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Plan, or LEP) in August 2010, saying it was “vital”.

Since then the collaboration has seen many achievements including getting 61 per cent of young people into jobs where as the Government’s work programme has just ten per cent.

However, what holds back York and our neighbours is funding for transport. According to the Institute For Public Policy Research North, £2,700 is spent per person in London on transport per year compared to £201 in Yorkshire and the Humber and in the North East it is just £5. York also contributes £40m extra a year in business rates to London than we get back. York is getting a raw deal.

Being part of a “combined authority” for West Yorkshire would potentially give us access to funding for major transport projects that we would otherwise not be able to tap into. Amongst other transport schemes, we need an upgrade of York’s outer ring road. According to MP Julian Sturdy, this will cost more than £180m when the annual operational budget of the council is around £128m.

I have been working with Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders across Yorkshire to deliver this devolution through a “shadow” combined authority; a precursor to a combined authority. I have worked directly with the Conservative Minister for Cities and the Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister on this scheme. We have put politics aside to make sure this works for Yorkshire.

Some say we should shun this proposal and instead work with North Yorkshire. The combined authority does not preclude us from doing so and we are committed to working with North Yorkshire. But in August, we put a bid to the North Yorkshire Local Transport Board for £2m towards improving the outer ring road and this was declined. And we should remember what Julian Sturdy said at a recent council meeting: “There will naturally be more money going into the Leeds LEP as obviously it is a lot bigger economic body”. Should we squander the chance of £83m for York’s outer ring road and transport schemes? Should we continue thanking London for crumbs of transport funding? Or should Yorkshire be master of its own destiny?

In summary, the proposal is a flagship Government policy that will see devolution of transport spending from London to Yorkshire, allow us the chance to access £83m towards York transport schemes including upgrading the outer ring road, allow us to join West Yorkshire Metro and lead to greater shared services to reduce costs to the taxpayer. What Conservative can object?

Then again in November 2010 Coun Ian Gillies called for “bold pilot schemes” such as “Lendal Bridge closed” in The Press. He previously said in a meeting of full council that he backs the combined authority. It would be charitable to say he is not always consistent.

NO says Ian Gillies, leader of the Conservative opposition

The creation of new combined authorities is the Government’s preferred option for promoting local autonomy and funding economic growth. We have no issue with this.

But York residents have not been kept fully informed about the Labour administration’s goal to tie York to five West Yorkshire local authorities (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) to create one large “super-authority”.

Labour have not explained the necessity of joining with West Yorkshire, instead of becoming part of a combined authority closer to home and joining with councils with which York has more in common. They have never made clear to the public the differences between joining the Leeds Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and participating in the Leeds City Region, and the much bigger step of committing York to a new authority through which Government funding may be distributed for years to come. They have implied that without joining this new authority, York will lose out financially. What they do not say is that York will join this authority as a very junior partner with absolutely no guarantee that it will get more than scraps from Leeds’s table. Labour’s cabinet papers claim the public has been consulted. What they fail to say is that only the five West Yorkshire authorities consulted their residents, not York. The cabinet papers purport to demonstrate that York will benefit from decisions being taken locally instead of in Whitehall. What they don’t mention is that as a non-constituent (read “minor”) member, York would be a non-voting member but “may be given voting rights on certain issues”.

York does not share borders with any other members of the proposed new authority, nor does it share police, fire or other administrative functions with them. Our transport links with Leeds and West Yorkshire are national and regional ones and we cannot meaningfully be linked with their planned integrated services. York in all ways would sit at the very margins of this new organisation with no benefits guaranteed. We are not against the principle of combined authorities. We recognise that there need to be changes to the way local government is funded. But that does not mean we need to jump on to the very first train.

There will be opportunities to set up combined authorities. Wouldn’t it be better to explore the creation of a new combined authority with neighbouring councils in North Yorkshire, which are a more natural fit with York, and where York would have a major role rather than a walk-on part?

Naturally Coun Alexander would rather sit with his Labour cronies in West Yorkshire instead of taking a lead amongst York’s neighbouring councils. But no effort has been made to spell out to the residents of York the impact of committing the city to this radical course. There is the very real possibility that in future, the West Yorkshire combined authority might be given tax-raising and tax-spending powers. If York were to join, therefore, in future decisions on taxes paid by residents in York could be made by an authority dominated by West Yorkshire metropolitan centres.

We therefore ask that residents be consulted and their views taken into account before the council irrevocably ties York to plans which we are certain will come as a great surprise to the majority of residents who do not closely follow local politics.”The creation of new combined authorities is the Government’s preferred option for promoting local autonomy and funding economic growth. We have no issue with this.

But York residents have not been kept fully informed about the Labour administration’s goal to tie York to five West Yorkshire local authorities (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) to create one large “super-authority”.

Labour have not explained the necessity of joining with West Yorkshire, instead of becoming part of a combined authority closer to home and joining with councils with which York has more in common. They have never made clear to the public the differences between joining the Leeds Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and participating in the Leeds City Region, and the much bigger step of committing York to a new authority through which Government funding may be distributed for years to come. They have implied that without joining this new authority, York will lose out financially. What they do not say is that York will join this authority as a very junior partner with absolutely no guarantee that it will get more than scraps from Leeds’s table. Labour’s cabinet papers claim the public has been consulted. What they fail to say is that only the five West Yorkshire authorities consulted their residents, not York. The cabinet papers purport to demonstrate that York will benefit from decisions being taken locally instead of in Whitehall. What they don’t mention is that as a non-constituent (read “minor”) member, York would be a non-voting member but “may be given voting rights on certain issues”.

York does not share borders with any other members of the proposed new authority, nor does it share police, fire or other administrative functions with them. Our transport links with Leeds and West Yorkshire are national and regional ones and we cannot meaningfully be linked with their planned integrated services. York in all ways would sit at the very margins of this new organisation with no benefits guaranteed. We are not against the principle of combined authorities. We recognise that there need to be changes to the way local government is funded. But that does not mean we need to jump on to the very first train.

There will be opportunities to set up combined authorities. Wouldn’t it be better to explore the creation of a new combined authority with neighbouring councils in North Yorkshire, which are a more natural fit with York, and where York would have a major role rather than a walk-on part?

Naturally Coun Alexander would rather sit with his Labour cronies in West Yorkshire instead of taking a lead amongst York’s neighbouring councils. But no effort has been made to spell out to the residents of York the impact of committing the city to this radical course. There is the very real possibility that in future, the West Yorkshire combined authority might be given tax-raising and tax-spending powers. If York were to join, therefore, in future decisions on taxes paid by residents in York could be made by an authority dominated by West Yorkshire metropolitan centres.

We therefore ask that residents be consulted and their views taken into account before the council irrevocably ties York to plans which we are certain will come as a great surprise to the majority of residents who do not closely follow local politics.”

Super-councils way ahead for Coalition?

So-called Combined Authorities are the cornerstone of the Coalition Government’s proposals to devolve more decision-making away from Whitehall and back to the regions. The idea is that the new “super-authorities” would have greater access to funding to support regional transport projects, and to boost economic growth and job creation.

The proposed West Yorkshire Combined Authority would bring together the metropolitan areas of Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield in a regional “super council” that would manage investment worth £1.5bn in the county’s transport and economic infrastructure.

As a member of the combined authority, York itself could potentially benefit by as much as £83.5 million towards a package of major transport schemes, such as improvements to the outer ring road, according to a council report. If the city does not join, it may have only £15 million to spend on such schemes.

Because York does not share physical boundaries with any of the other councils which would make up the authority, it could not become a full member without a change of law. It could, however, become a “non-constituent” member. This would give York only limited voting rights on how money was spent: although the law could be changed in future to allow York to become a full member.

Initially at least the new super-authority would deal only with transport, economic development and regeneration. It would not take on any other areas of local authority responsibility, such as housing, education or social services. These would remain with York. This could change in future, however.

“There is a lot of detail to be worked through on functions that could be ceded to a Combined Authority,” a council spokesperson said.

Possible benefits to York of joining the new authority include:

• more decisions being taken regionally, instead of in Whitehall

• potential access to millions of pounds of funding for major transport projects

• York would be part of a better and more strategic planning on transport issues.

Potential disadvantages to joining include:

• York would be part of a combined authority representing five other big metropolitan areas as well as itself. Even if it became a full member, therefore, its influence on decision-making might be limited.

• Conservative opponents of the new super-council say York has more in common with North Yorkshire than West Yorkshire

• York does not even share borders with any of the other proposed members of the new “super council”.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a major consultation on whether the proposed West Yorkshire Combined Authority should go ahead. The consultation closes on January 2. To make your views known, email collaborate@communities.gsi.gov.uk or write to Kathy Billington, Department for Communities and Local Government, Local Democracy Division, Zone 3/J1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU. Mark your email or letter “Response to proposal to establish a combined authority for West Yorkshire”

To find out more about the proposals, visit awya.gov.uk/aboutus/WYCAScheme.htm