District and borough councils are reminding people that they have until April 19 to have their say in a Government consultation on the future of local government in North Yorkshire and York. 

The Government has said local government in North Yorkshire and York must be reorganised to form one-tier, unitary authorities – and is currently holding a consultation on two separate proposals that have been put forward.

• The six district and borough councils of Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby have joined together to propose a balanced, East & West model of local government. Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton would join together to form a unitary council in the West, with a population of 363,000, and Selby, City of York, Ryedale and Scarborough would form a unitary council in the East, with a population of 465,000.

• North Yorkshire County Council has submitted a proposal to form one council across the whole of North Yorkshire, with a population of 618,000, leaving York as a separate, small unitary authority with 211,000 residents.

Councillor Richard Foster, Leader of Craven District Council, speaking on behalf of the district and borough councils, said: “We know people have many other things on their minds at the moment – Covid-19, lockdown easing, vaccines, the survival of their businesses, health and education – but we would urge residents, businesses and organisations to have their say in this crucial consultation.

“This reorganisation will affect the lives of more than 800,000 people in North Yorkshire and York. The Government is about to decide how all your local services are going to be delivered in the future. We don’t want people to regret not taking the opportunity to have their say.

“Please do take your time to read the proposals and give your views to Government. Make sure your voice is heard.”

To find out more about the proposals, and to take part in the consultation, go to https://consult.communities.gov.uk/governance-reform-and-democracy/northyorkshire/ 

The district and borough council leaders are: Cllr Richard Foster (Craven), Cllr Richard Cooper (Harrogate), Cllr Angie Dale (Richmondshire), Cllr Steve Siddons (Scarborough) and Cllr Mark Crane (Selby).