North Yorkshire Council spends £6m on local government transformation

The new council took over from the eight previous authorities earlier this year

The transition of eight councils to one unitary authority in North Yorkshire has cost £6m so far.

Seven district councils and the county council were abolished on 31 March and replaced by a single entity called North Yorkshire Council.

The former county council has set aside £38m for the cost of the changes from its reserves.

A spokesperson for the the council said that £16.9m had been allocated to be spent from 2021 to 2025.

North Yorkshire Council's corporate director for resources, Gary Fielding, said £6m of this has been spent so far by the new, Northallerton-based unitary authority.

£4.9m was spent on delivering reorganisation in the previous and current financial years.

'Value for money'

About £2.3m had been spent in the last financial year on upgrading technology and digital systems, with a further £1.4m allocated for this year.

The council is facing a £30m shortfall in its first year and is targeting savings of up to £252m in its first five years.

Further savings are expected to be made by cutting the roles of 24 senior managers and the sale of properties previously owned by district and borough councils.

Mr Fielding said: "We remain committed to ensuring that the move to North Yorkshire Council presents the best value for money for taxpayers.

"The new authority is set to bring about annual savings of between £30m and £70m through the streamlining of services and bringing together eight councils into one organisation."

District and borough councils in Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton, Scarborough, Ryedale, Richmondshire and Selby and the county council had provided services since 1974 until they were abolished.