Harrogate and Scarborough town councils to have 'vital role'

Scarborough council along with six other district and borough councils will be scrapped

The creation of councils for two North Yorkshire towns is set to be discussed at a meeting later.

Harrogate and Scarborough will lose their district councils under a devolution deal and do not have town or parish councils.

A new council will replace the eight local authorities currently covering North Yorkshire on 1 April 2023.

The proposed town councils would be able to apply to take on some extra powers.

According to the local authority more than two thirds of residents who responded to public consultations were in favour of creating the new bodies.

North Yorkshire Councillor David Chance, said: "Parish and town councils have a vital role in representing their communities.

"That local voice is essential in understanding the issues facing a community at a local level and the needs of the people within that community".

The suggested representation for Harrogate Town Council would be a total of 19 elected councillors and Scarborough would have 10.

The county council's executive member for stronger communities, Councillor Greg White, said: "Town councils offer residents the ability to help to determine how the places in which they live look and feel.

"The benefits of local ideas and action have been seen across our county innumerable times, and never more so than in recent years during the Covid-19 pandemic."

Subject to approval the town councils would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on 2 May, 2024.