Underpinned by
partnership working
Supporting national ambitions
To create growth at scale, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority can’t do this alone. Collaboration will be key, pooling expertise, knowledge and resources.Â
Role of the Combined Authority
A Combined Authority is where a group of councils work together across a larger area. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been created by the City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council.
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is a legally recognised, single body. Our role is to use some of the money and powers, that up to now have been held by central government, and work with local leaders and communities to invest in ways that will help to make York and North Yorkshire a better place for you to live, work and do business.
To deliver on the Growth Plan, the Combined Authority commits to the following:
Coordination and leadership: with the support of our Mayor, the Combined Authority will provide leadership for growth within York and North Yorkshire, alongside convening key partners and ensuring activity is business-focussed. This will include engagement with our Business Board, which includes representation from a wider range of private sector businesses, who will provide continued challenge and support.
Advocate for York and North Yorkshire towards central Government: we will work closely with central Government to explore opportunities for further devolution, which means greater powers locally and single long term funding settlement.
Promote York and North Yorkshire: through the Mayor, we can ensure the voice of York and North Yorkshire is heard and that central government recognises our unique growth opportunities, particularly from an urban, rural and coastal perspective. Our role is to help put the region on the map, both nationally and globally, encouraging inward investment and internationalisation for our businesses, alongside skills and talent retention.
Delivery of programmes to support growth: the Growth Plan identifies a number of actions, which the Combined Authority, in partnership with other stakeholders, will take ownership of managing, coordinating and ensuring successful delivery.
Role of the Local Authorities & National Parks
York and North Yorkshire has two unitary councils (City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council) and two National Parks (Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors), which have a strong track-record of partnership working with the Combined Authority, and they have been integral to developing the Local Growth Plan.
Through their established economic strategies, built on robust evidence and consultation, we were able to identify regional, cross-cutting opportunities and identify the basis of the Growth Plan. They will continue to play a key role, advocating for their local areas and acting as a delivery partner. They will also be responsible for development of Local Plans, which will help to provide spatial direction to housing and commercial development and growth opportunities.
Role of Central Government
We have been working collaboratively with central Government to develop our Local Growth Plan, ensuring it achieves growth both locally and nationally. We will build on this strong partnership approach, seeking support from central Government on the following:
- Further dialogue regarding devolution and a single settlement based on the English Devolution White Paper and Established Authority status;
- Advocate for and support York and North Yorkshire’s competitive advantage sectors, particularly through the National Industrial Strategy;
- Invest in the programmes identified within the Growth Plan.
Central Government has already committed to Shared Priorities, linked to housing and commercial development, innovation and utilities, to support York and North Yorkshire to achieve our growth ambitions.Â
Role of the Private Sector
Growth cannot be achieved without the support of our local businesses, entrepreneurs and investors, who are responsible for creating jobs, driving innovation, new products and internationalisation and investing in our local area. We’re proud to be the home of both global, influential businesses and entrepreneurial small and micros. Each have a role to play, and we will work collaboratively to ensure our decisions are business-led and that York and North Yorkshire has the right ecosystem in place for businesses to thrive and grow.
Role of Academia
The academic institutions in York and North Yorkshire each have a role to play in our growth ambitions, from our schools to Further Education and Higher Education, and ongoing training and development. They are developing the future pipeline of talent, ensuring our businesses have the right skills in place to thrive, and pioneering innovation and research in our growth sectors. We will continue to engage with our academic partners, utilising their extensive knowledge and expertise, to deliver our Growth Plan.
Role of Communities
There is a risk that growth is not shared more widely and only benefits a small minority. We want our growth to affect the many, not just the few. We will put communities at the heart of this plan and explore mechanism such as Community Wealth Building to ensure people are not left behind.
Cross-Boundary Partnerships
Collaboration is a key element to the Local Growth Plan and ensuring growth ambitions are realised. We commit to working beyond administrative boundaries, and utilising York and North Yorkshire’s assets to stimulate growth for the UK in the North. Activity is already underway to pioneer this approach:
White Rose Agreement
Alongside South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, we have signed a new White Rose Agreement to champion Yorkshire and work on cross-cutting priorities, such as rail connectivity.
Food and Farming Innovation
Opportunity for close collaboration and sharing lessons learnt with other rural geographies that have a reliance on agriculture and food manufacturing, such as Lincolnshire.
Engineering Biology
Utilising York and North Yorkshire’s academic and innovation assets within this sector, alongside the industrial clusters in the Tees Valley and Hull and East Yorkshire to drive growth.
Creative Industries
York and North Yorkshire is part of One Creative North, which is a Northern creative corridor targeting support for start-ups, scale-ups and greater success in the sector.
Life Sciences
Previous research proposed a Life Sciences supercluster across the North of England could have major growth benefits, alongside building more resilience to future health challenges. We will continue to explore opportunities to grow and develop York and North Yorkshire’s assets through close partnership working within the North and beyond.
Clean Energy
Opportunity to share lessons learnt around emerging geothermal with areas such as the North-East, alongside engagement with the Humber on its industrial assets.
Defence
Collaborating with neighbouring regions to identify the growth opportunity and scale across Yorkshire.Â