As the nights get longer, the mornings colder, and the stress of last minute Christmas shopping looms large, the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement was a welcome bit of news for many last week.

Britain is back on the mend and is set to grow faster than any other major advanced economy in the world.

Indeed, economic growth this year is twice as fast as previous forecasts, with 2.4 per cent growth predicted for next year, followed by steady and sustainable growth over the next four years.

This good news comes after the revelation that the economy contracted by 7.2 per cent over the course of the financial crisis in 2008/2009, wiping more than £100 billion off the economy, the equivalent of around £3,000 for every household in the country.

Unlike previous recoveries however, the signs of growth have not been confined to the City and the south-east alone. Yorkshire is one of the strongest performing regions outside of London.

Both unemployment and, crucially, youth unemployment, have fallen by more than 40 per cent since the Coalition Government came to power in 2010. Workless households are now at their lowest levels in 17 years and employment is up, with a further 400,000 new jobs created this year alone.

As well as detailing the encouraging economic outlook, the Autumn Statement contained some welcome measures to boost growth and help small businesses. Business rates remain high in York, especially in the city centre, so the Chancellor’s announcement that rates will be capped at inflation, along with a £1,000 discount for small businesses, will be welcomed by traders. Getting to the shops will also be cheaper than it would have been, with fuel duty frozen until 2015, saving the average motorist £11 every time they fill up. Rail fares will also be frozen at inflation for the next year, which is good news for those who commute in and out of the city or further afield.

On the issue of transport, it is also clear that the people of York have a big decision to make over whether to support the Council’s plans to join the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which could provide funding for regional transport initiatives.

This is, I appreciate, in the “boring but important” category for many residents, but there are a number of crucial questions that need to be answered.

As York would contribute funds to the combined authority, but could potentially not have a vote on important issues, what safeguards will be in place to stop our taxes from being used for the improvement of West Yorkshire roads instead of our own?

Rather than playing a relatively junior role in West Yorkshire, would we be better served taking the lead in North Yorkshire, with which we have long-standing ties and a historic allegiance? Is joining the West Yorkshire authority part of a larger agenda, with York destined to be a mere suburb of the Leeds City Region, not the proudly independent cathedral city is has been for millennia?

These are questions that many local businesses are asking, and I look forward to the council making the convincing economic case for joining and consulting widely on its plans.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently holding a consultation on the proposals, which closes on January 2, 2014. If you would like to take part in the consultation, please email collaborate@communities.gsi.gov.uk Alternatively you can contact me directly and I will make sure your views are taken into account.

Finally, as we head into the festive season, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all York residents a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

I know you will join me in sending our very best wishes to our brave troops stationed in Afghanistan, and across the world. We owe them a great debt for keeping us safe and our heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to them and their families who will be missing them this Christmas time.