Mayor David Skaith welcomed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to York Central on Thursday to tour what will be one of the country’s largest city centre regeneration projects.
The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed OBE MP, met with the Mayor and Leader of City of York Council, Councillor Claire Douglas, to discuss the opportunities around affordable housing and improved transport, before meeting with apprentices.
Whilst on site, the Prime Minister announced an additional £3million in funding for the National Railway Museum.
The Secretary of State later joined Mayor David Skaith in Scarborough to visit projects that have had funding approved under the Pride in Place scheme, including at the Brunswick Centre, Stephen Joseph Theatre and the 'Turning Tides' project.
Speaking at York Central, David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire said:
“York Central is going to fundamentally change how the rest of the world sees York, over 2,500 new homes and one million square feet of high-quality office space, creating new homes, jobs and opportunities for our county’s residents today and in the future. It’s going to put York on the map as another Northern economic superpower.
“I was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to see the scale of the improvements being made on one of Western Europe’s largest brownfield developments.”
Mayor’s Council
Following the tour of York Central, the Mayor was joined in York by mayors from across England to hear how the government is accelerating its drive to kickstart growth and deliver for working people.
The mayors attended the meeting in York focused on maximising the opportunities of devolution and the key issues that matter to local people, from building more homes and infrastructure, to taking control of local transport.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“For too long, Britain has been held back by a system that says no, delaying projects, blocking growth and leaving communities behind.
“We’re turning that on its head by backing our mayors to get Britain building again, with spades in the ground and more jobs across the country. There will always be the naysayers and the blockers, but we cannot afford to give into them - because it will be the next generation that suffers.
"This government is backing mayors with the biggest devolution drive in a generation, putting real power in the hands of local leaders, because those with skin in the game know best what their communities need. That is the right thing to do for communities, and it's the right thing to do for growth."
The discussions at the Mayoral Council come alongside a wider shift of power out of Westminster and into the hands of local leaders, including the first ever ‘Right to Request’ process – allowing mayors to propose new devolved powers to drive growth in their areas.