It was with dismay that I read that four of York’s political parties have joined forces to petition the Government for the status quo to be maintained regarding the governing of our city (York must remain York: party leaders fight council merger, February 11).

As a former Lord Mayor and council leader, I am immensely proud of York, but times are changing. I was a supporter of ‘One Yorkshire’, but that option has now gone, therefore having one council representing North Yorkshire is the best alternative option.

The last I heard was that for an area to be devolved, the population had to be a minimum of 450,000 for a unitary authority, together with an elected Mayor.

We have already seen the successes of the policy in Teeside, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and other authorities where large infrastructure policies are in place with funding released by central Government.

Why would an area such as North Yorkshire need eight sets of councillors, eight management teams with many directors earning six figure salaries, and the duplication of other services. We already have many services such as transport, care for the elderly etc., run by North Yorkshire, and the police and fire service serving the whole county.

In York, the many of the senior management team live not only outside the city but outside the county. It does not preclude them from doing their job. Millions of pounds of investment for the Station Frontage and York Central emanates from the West Yorkshire Investment Fund. Having represented York in a political minority of one on the Investment Committee, I can assure residents decisions were based on sound evidence and not political posturing.

This move by the present political leadership is based on politics and self preservation, by Councillors who are concerned that they and the parties they represent lose their influence and income.

Ian Gillies, Upper Poppleton, York

 

York must remain York

I was happy to see York’s political leaders join together to call for York to remain a unitary in the face of a handful of Conservative councillors calling for our city to be merged with remote county areas.

The fact that the Government has chosen the middle of the pandemic to try and push through local government reorganisation, well known to be an incredibly costly and disruptive process, is quite frankly incredible. Then again, a pandemic does lend itself to some very effective negative headline burying. The next stage in determining York’s future is due to begin imminently, with the Government expected to start a consultation on whether York should keep its local independent council or be merged into a new council stretching from the outskirts of Doncaster to those of Redcar, along the east coast. Quite simply, this year will decide whether we keep our links to York’s heritage, our lower council tax bills and our local decision making - or whether they are lost forever. This seems like a very straight forward choice to me and I very much hope to see many other residents join me in supporting York remaining York.

Dylan Nykamp, Main Street, Heslington, York