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Aug 2021
What will devolution mean for Harrogate and North Yorkshire council staff?
The abolition of North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils will have a major impact on taxpayers who rely on key services.
It will also have implications for councillors who in May 2022 will have to stand for election to a new unitary authority serving the entire county.
But above all, it will be the around 10,000 council staff across North Yorkshire who will be the most affected by the changes.
When the new authority launches in April 2023 following the abolition of North Yorkshire County Council and the district and borough councils in Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby, Craven, Ryedale, Hambleton and Richmondshire, most staff will be transferred across but some duplicated roles will inevitably be at risk of redundancy.
It is not yet known how many jobs will be affected – and there are also the questions of whether staff will be relocated and what happens to office buildings including Harrogate’s new civic centre headquarters.
North Yorkshire County Council – which is behind the single council plans and will act as the ‘continuing authority’ when reorganisation happens – has said those at risk of redundancy will be mostly senior staff and that the transferring of workers will be a “simple” process.
However, some union officials are not fully convinced.
Unions: concern or optimism?
David Houlgate, branch secretary at Unison Harrogate, which supported rival plans for two new councils split on a east/west basis, said:
On the other hand, Wendy Nichols, secretary of the North Yorkshire branch of Unison, which supported the single council plans, said reorganisation should be welcomed by all staff who she hopes will “work together to deliver a stronger future for everyone’s benefit.”
She said:
The aim of reorganisation is to unlock the door to a devolution deal with the government which could see millions of pounds and decision-making powers handed down from Whitehall to North Yorkshire.
Read more:
- What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?
- The key questions facing Harrogate after devolution
- Robert Jenrick: Two councils for North Yorkshire would have been risky
The county could also get a mayor similar to those seen in South Yorkshire, the Tees Valley and Greater Manchester.
But a key part of the plans is saving money and a large part of this will come from a reduction in staff.
For example, there are currently eight council chief executives across North Yorkshire earning around £100,000 a year.
The new council will just have one – and the same will most likely be said for other top roles including directors.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council explained:
The coming months and as more details emerge about the new authority will undoubtedly be a nervy time for some staff.
Until it starts to take shape, there will be many unanswered questions about exactly whose jobs are at risk and what the new staffing structure will look like.
But officials have insisted staff will play a key part in the process and that they hope workers won’t quit local government due to the uncertainties ahead.
The county council spokesperson added:
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