Decision details

At its meeting of 23 February 2023, Council considered a report from the Leader relating to the proposed creation of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Council agreed to: i) approve the submission of the Consultation Summary Report to the Government; ii) approve amendments to the Scheme and proposals for the operating model of the Combined Authority for submission to the Government; iii) delegated authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to undertake any action necessary to submit the Consultation Summary Report and Scheme to Government; iv) approved Amendments to the Terms of Reference for the York and North Yorkshire Joint Devolution Committee outlined in the report; and v) delegated authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to undertake any action necessary to provide consent to the Order facilitating the creation of the Combined Authority in line with the scheme submitted to Government, as outlined in the report. Full details can be found here.

Approvals i) to iv) were actioned in the period immediately following the Council decision. The Council has now been asked to provide its formal consent to the making of the Order in Parliament, requiring a decision by the Chief Operating Officer under approval v) above.

Additional detail can be found in the accompanying report.

The Chief Operating Officer has considered the request submitted by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, together with the draft Order, and has concluded that it is appropriate to exercise his delegated authority. The Chief Operating Officer has also, through the Monitoring Officer, consulted with the Leader of the Council in relation to the exercise of his delegated authority, and approval to the use of such delegated authority has been given by the Leader.

As a consequence, the Chief Operating Officer has decided to exercise his delegated authority and to consent to the making of the Order.

The Chief Operating Officer considered whether or not to consent to the making of the Order. The Chief Operating Officer had an ‘open’ choice between deciding to exercise his delegated authority or not.

The Chief Operating Officer rejected the option to not exercise his delegated authority, as this would lead to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority not being created and the consequent loss of significant additional regional funding and opportunity.