The Government has announced that local councils in North Yorkshire will be reorganised to form one council across the whole of the county, covering a population of 618,000.
The decision means Hambleton District Council will be abolished in 2023.
The announcement, made in Parliament today, leaves York as a separate, small unitary council with 211,000.
The Government decision follows a consultation held earlier this year on the future of local government in North Yorkshire and York.
Government ministers had told councils in July 2020 that they wished to see local government in the area reorganised into unitary councils, which would provide all services to residents.
Six of the seven district and borough councils – Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby – had joined together to propose an East & West model of local government.
Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire and Hambleton would have formed a unitary council in the West, with a population of 363,000, and Selby, City of York, Ryedale and Scarborough would have formed a unitary council in the East, with a population of 465,000.
However, the Government has decided not to implement the East & West proposal, and instead has accepted North Yorkshire County Council’s bid to create one council across the whole of the county.
North Yorkshire County Council and the district and borough councils of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby will continue to operate until March 2023.
After this, they will cease to exist and the new unitary authority will come into operation.
Council staff will continue to be employed by their current council until March 2023, after which the vast majority will be transferred to the new authority.
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