Thousands help shape future of North Yorkshire's new council

The largest ever public engagement of its kind in the county has seen thousands of responses received, with people sharing their views on what makes their communities so special, as well as giving their opinions on the key priorities for the new North Yorkshire Council.

The Let’s Talk conversation comes to an end on Friday, December 23.

It has been seeking the public’s views on a proposed devolution deal as well as the new council’s financial priorities and how it will best serve and work at a local level with more than 600,000 people who live in England’s largest county.

The latest data has shown that more than 32,000 people have engaged with the consultations, with more than 8,100 surveys completed across all three topics.

The county council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said that the consultations had provided an unprecedented opportunity to gather opinions and help to shape the priorities and policies for the new authority, which launches on April 1 next year.

Cllr Les, who will become the leader of the new North Yorkshire Council, added: “The Let’s Talk conversation with the public has given us the chance to go to every corner of North Yorkshire to listen and gather hugely important views and information on what makes the county such a special place to live and work.

“We made a pledge to listen to the public when we embarked on the Let’s Talk campaign, and the amount of people who have engaged with us is testament to the hard work and efforts of all those involved.

“The views and opinions that have now been gathered will be carefully considered to help shape the vision of the new North Yorkshire Council and ensure that it remains the most local authority in the country while serving the largest geographic area nationally."

The new authority will be launched when North Yorkshire County Council and the existing seven district and borough authorities merge in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974.

The Let’s Talk conversation can be accessed at www.northyorks.gov.uk/lets-talk-north-yorkshire online ahead of the conclusion of the money and localism consultations. The devolution strand has closed.