Taxpayers in North Yorkshire are receiving some of the best value for money in England, according to independent research which has ranked the county council among the top-performing local authorities nationally.
An analysis published this week places North Yorkshire Council third overall in the IMPOWER Index, making it the highest-performing council in the North of England.
The ranking is being hailed as strong evidence that the creation of a single unitary authority for North Yorkshire in April 2023 has delivered benefits, following the merger of the county’s previous eight councils.
The findings come at a time of significant financial pressure, with North Yorkshire Council facing a £40 million funding gap over the next two financial years, increasing the importance of delivering services efficiently while maintaining quality.
Council leader Cllr Carl Les said the ranking was a testament to the work of staff and elected members.
“To be ranked as the third most productive council in the whole country is testament to the hard work of all our staff and elected members,” he said.
“More importantly, it shows our taxpayers are getting some of the best value for their money nationally. That has always been at the heart of what North Yorkshire Council is trying to achieve.”
The IMPOWER Index assesses how effectively councils deliver outcomes for residents based on spending across seven major service areas, which together account for around 70 per cent of local government expenditure. These include children’s social care, adult social care, special educational needs and disabilities, housing, homelessness, and waste and recycling.
IMPOWER’s top 10 rankings highlight councils that outperform comparable authorities across multiple service areas.
The publication of the index follows praise for North Yorkshire Council’s adult social care services, which were rated “good” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in October. The inspection resulted in an overall score of 81, placing the authority among the strongest performers nationally in this area.
Despite the positive assessment, the council continues to face financial challenges following changes to national local government funding. It has lost almost £20 million in core funding over the past year and is managing an existing shortfall of more than £20 million in the current financial year.
However, the move to a single unitary authority has enabled services to be streamlined across England’s largest county. Since April 2023, the council has developed plans to deliver more than £130 million in savings, with £68 million attributed directly to the reorganisation.
Chief executive Richard Flinton said the IMPOWER ranking showed the benefits of the transition.
“This independent analysis demonstrates that the creation of a single council for North Yorkshire is delivering real value for money,” he said.
“It has been a challenging journey, but this research shows we are providing efficient services across a vast area while continuing to improve outcomes for residents. There is still more to do, and that work continues.”
IMPOWER first published its top-performing councils list in 2018, with the most recent edition released in October 2024.
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