The Combined Authority has agreed draft economic priorities for York and North Yorkshire.

Five draft Strategic Growth Priorities will help inform what will become a Local Growth Plan for the region – a long-term economic strategy requested by Government but owned at a local level.

When completed in Spring 2025, the Local Growth Plan will be broadly shaped by two sets of growth priorities. One will link the potential for growth in York and North Yorkshire to Government priorities and the development of a national industrial strategy. A second set will link wider local priorities that will focus on the region’s core economic strengths, such as hospitality, high streets and the visitor economy.

The draft Strategic Growth Priorities, which will now be submitted to Government for review, are:

• Increase productivity and innovation within the food and farming sector
• Maximise our science, knowledge, innovation and research strengths to drive growth in an engineering biology northern cluster
• Create economic opportunities through the need to transition to clean energy
• Enable technological and digital transformation through investment in digital infrastructure and skills
• Accelerate place-based sustainable development.

These priorities have been based on the Combined Authority’s existing Economic Framework, which was developed from consultation and evidence work carried out by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council. Further opportunities for engagement in the region will follow.

At the same meeting, held earlier today (2) in York, more than £3 million of mayoral funding was allocated to support infrastructure and cultural projects in York and North Yorkshire.

Four projects are set to receive backing from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Mayoral Investment Fund. Work to upgrade signals on key junctions of the A61 in Harrogate will receive £500,000 while Selby’s Station Gateway scheme has a £700,000 contribution agreed in principle. Both projects are led by North Yorkshire Council.

City of York Council has had £1.54 million agreed in principle to part-fund three electric vehicle projects worth £4.6 million overall. A City of York Council-led cultural development and engagement programme for young people has £460,000 approved in principle.

The Mayoral Investment Fund stems from the region’s devolution deal – worth £540 million over 30 years.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “This is devolution in action. We’re using investment at a local level for the benefit of our communities. The funding agreed today helps enable important infrastructure and cultural projects, supporting our aims of improving connectivity, wellbeing and achieving net zero ambitions.”

Published on Thursday 2 October 2024