RE-ORGANISING North Yorkshire councils to become one authority could save millions and improve an ‘inefficient’ system, officials say.

An eight-week-long Government consultation is now open on how councils across North Yorkshire should operate in the future, with two options proposed.

One is to create a unitary authority overseeing services for the whole county, whilst the other is to divide the county into an east/west split.

Speaking at a media briefing this evening, the current leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Carl Les, who backs the unitary model, said: “The reason for doing this is to remove an inefficient and more costly way of working, to make things better and less confusing for the people that we serve.

“If that wasn’t enough reason, this also unlocks a devolution deal that is worth millions of pounds every year to the City of York and to North Yorkshire.

“And I have to say that many of us have been frustrated by our slow pace on devolution.

How the county would be split under the east/west model

“We’re falling behind not only to the Manchesters and Birminghams of this world, but especially as we look over the fence at the northern end of the county at the Tees Valley Combined Authority and their energetic Mayor Ben Houchen and the way that he is revolutionising investment into the Tees Valley.

“We need to get reform done and we need to get on with devolution because of that.”

Cllr Les pointed out that the county council already delivers 80 per cent of local Government services to North Yorkshire residents but it wanted to ‘go further’ by ensuring that decision-making was moved from Whitehall to County Hall.

He said that local area committees would ensure all residents’ voices are heard and that groups of town and parish councils could take on some local responsibilities if they desired.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, who is both a Hambleton district councillor and a county councillor, also backs the unitary model.

He said this would initially produce £30million worth of savings, rising over a year or two to £50million in savings for the council tax payer.

Cllr Dadd said that if the authority ‘really pushes it with transformation’, then after three to four years the savings would be up to £67million year on year - equating to a £180 annual saving for each Band D council tax payer.

He added: “I think, quite frankly, the moral case for reform is definitely there.”

A decision on which of the two proposed models will be implemented is expected to made in the early summer of this year.