November’s column by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire – originally published by The Press.

York and North Yorkshire has an entrepreneurial spirit that makes us unique. We are home to small businesses that are the backbone of our economy.  We have companies that are recognised nationally and internationally. Businesses of all sizes need a voice to influence how money is best spent and to help shape policies. That is why today’s first meeting of our Business Board is such a landmark moment.

Thirteen volunteers from the York and North Yorkshire business community have been picked to join our Business Board, kick-starting a brand-new function at York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority which connects the private sector into our work to deliver devolution for the region.

In my first six months in office, I met with many businesses to start building up a sense of what their challenges were, their opportunities, and how I could make a difference.  There’s a huge amount of passion and expertise among businesses in York and North Yorkshire, so I was not surprised when we were flooded with applications for the new Board.

Sector leaders

We have an excellent group of business leaders and entrepreneurs joining us. They cover our core and growing sectors and represent all corners of our region. Jennifer Wood, Co-Founder of Ripon based O&3 Limited has been appointed as Chair of the Business Board. Along with Jennifer’s expertise in food and bioeconomy, the Board has specialists across sectors such as creative and digital, manufacturing, rail, retail, hospitality and voluntary, community and social enterprise.

The Business Board has a key role to play.  They will scrutinise and provide insight into the region’s Local Growth Plan and how it will support emerging opportunities for growth that we are yet to fully realise. I want to attract private sector investment to York and North Yorkshire and create more and better opportunities for people who live and do business here. The Board’s input on our plans will help us achieve that.

I want devolution to deliver healthy and thriving communities across York and North Yorkshire. The Business Board will have a role in ensuring we are supporting small businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities to be resilient and to thrive.

It is crucial to me as Mayor that I have strong connections to the business community. As well as the Business Board, the business voice will also be supported by two forums, one bringing together developers behind the region’s key and strategic employment sites, and the other focussing on building networks for businesses. There’s also ongoing engagement and support for business through York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Growth Hub and Invest partnership.

We remain in a challenging economic environment, with the rise in National Insurance contributions for employers being a talking point since the Budget announcement. It’s my goal to do everything I can to help our businesses thrive, and the activity we are launching will support that.

Healthy and thriving communities

The aims I have for businesses tie in with my overall vision for York and North Yorkshire. I want to make healthy and resilient communities, that are connected to opportunity, where people live in warm and affordable homes, where people are connected to the outdoors and where there are safe places for all. This is the direction for my work, and that of the Combined Authority moving forward, using funds and powers that have been devolved to the region.

Within my priorities, I’m also keen to highlight that, while York and North Yorkshire is generally a prosperous place, there are areas of deprivation. In York, healthy life expectancy varies by 11.3 years between two neighbouring council wards and in North Yorkshire, Scarborough has a lower-than-average life expectancy for both men and women, compared against the average rates in England.

I’m really pleased by the progress made in my first six months in office. I have been able to support projects to get them off the ground or ensure they are delivered. I have used funds to support affordable homes being built on brownfield sites and provided funding for local authority projects, such as York’s Cultural Passport programme and the Selby Station Gateway scheme. We’ve agreed in principle four investment funds, covering high streets, skills, business innovation and carbon reduction, worth up to £27.5 million and a major police and fire consultation to support future plans has taken place. There is much more to come.

I’m looking forward to moving forward with my vision, working with my team for the benefit of communities across York and North Yorkshire.

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Published on Friday 22 November 2024