A bold new approach to boost jobs, housing and regeneration across York and North Yorkshire has been published today ahead of a Combined Authority meeting next month.
The report sets out proposals to create three Mayoral Development Zones (MDZs) to drive forward the regeneration and development opportunities in three priority areas — Scarborough, the Selby Growth Zone and York Central.
MDZs are a key tool available to Mayors through devolution to designate areas as a priority for development. They allow the Mayor to take a lead in bringing together developers, landowners and the local authority to attract private sector investment and align public sector funding.
An initial £10 million MDZ Regeneration Fund has been proposed to kickstart the next phases of development and to unlock further government and private investment to accelerate delivery.
The three proposed MDZs are:
- A new Selby Growth Zone bringing together major employment sites across the south of the region and creating over 7,000 new jobs in the Selby Growth Zone
- Acceleration the delivery of 2,500 new homes and a new central business district in York Central
- Regeneration in Scarborough, including major improvements to the town centre, bring forward leisure and tourism development and unlock 1,000s of new homes in one of the region’s most deprived communities
The report highlights that these areas have been chosen because they are ready to move forward and could make the biggest difference to both regional growth and local residents, helping people access good jobs, affordable homes and better places to live.
Mayor David Skaith said:
“This is about using the full powers available to the Mayor through devolution to making a real difference to people’s everyday lives; good jobs, affordable homes, and thriving communities.
“The three areas that will become MDZs have the ability to deliver thousands of new homes, unlock thousands of new and better jobs, and attract billions of pounds of investment into our region.
“Some of the sites are ready to go and just need that final push, others need the final pieces of investment to get them going. Each MDZ will tailored to get development going and delivered quicker.
“I am creating an initial £10m of investment for the MDZs, and will work with our local authority partners to ensure we deliver the government funding and private sector investment needed.
“This is an important step in setting out how we can bring investment into our communities and make sure growth benefits everyone.”
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:
“We are committed to bringing the best possible opportunities for our communities in North Yorkshire, whether that be better career prospects, the chance to own their own home or regenerating our towns and villages.
“The proposed Mayoral Development Zones are due to offer the opportunity to build on the work we have been undertaking to support all areas of the economy in places such as Scarborough, from the leisure and tourism sectors to the harbour, fishing and other marine activities such as the off-shore windfarm industry.
“Whether that is the prospect of bringing 7,000 new jobs to the Selby area or creating thousands of new homes and new leisure and tourism opportunities to regenerate Scarborough, this will be so important to help build on our ambitions.
“We will continue to work closely within the combined authority to make sure that these plans do bring real benefits to our residents and businesses in both the Scarborough and Selby areas, as well as ensuring the positive impact can be felt elsewhere in the county.”
Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council said:
“York Central is one of the country’s most exciting regeneration projects. With new affordable homes and well-paid jobs, lots of new commercial and retail space, new parks and much more, it presents a transformational opportunity for York and the wider region.
“We want to ensure everyone in the city feels the benefits of this major investment. It must offer opportunity and must work for everyone, and this latest announcement from the Mayor is welcome support for that vision.
“We’ll continue to work with our partners to maximise the impact of York Central, for the good of our residents and our economy.”
The report will be discussed at the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Cabinet meeting on 2 July 2026. Cabinet papers can be found here.
Published on Wednesday 24 June 2026