New Mayor’s first day in office

Duties included signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which formally recognises the Mayor’s responsibilities for the Police and Crime Commissioner role.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:

 “I’m honoured to take on the role of Mayor for York and North Yorkshire. I’m looking to bring together York and North Yorkshire as one.

“This new role of Mayor, and the Combined Authority, presents a great deal of opportunities to the region. We can attract new investment, and tackle keys areas such as affordable housing and transport. This is just the start, and I’m looking forward to working with partners, businesses, and communities.

“Over my first few weeks as Mayor, I want to take every opportunity to listen to communities across the region. It’s vital that communities understand the role of Mayor and what it means for York and North Yorkshire. This is a huge opportunity to make lives better for people across the region long into the future. I take the responsibility very seriously and I want to ensure that we get this right and deliver benefits to communities now and for the future.”

The new Mayor leads York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which formed on 22 January. The Combined Authority is delivering the region’s historic devolution deal, which is worth more than £540 million over 30 years.

The Mayor will work with City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council to deliver devolved funds and attract new investment.

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:

 “We have long said that the election of a mayor for York and North Yorkshire will bring so many benefits for hundreds of thousands of people in the region.

“I would like to welcome the mayor to his new role, and we are looking forward to forging a close working relationship with him to make the most of this hugely significant moment for politics here in York and North Yorkshire.

“The appointment of the mayor will mean we have more decisions being made locally and millions of pounds in additional funding from the Government to target the issues that really matter to people.

“The election of the mayor will mean we can drive forward the benefits of devolution in the region, which will mean better jobs and improved training, more affordable housing and boosting the green industry sector to tackle climate change.”

Leader of City of York Council, Councillor Claire Douglas said:

 “This is an historic moment and I congratulate David on his election as the first Mayor for our region. I look forward to working closely with him through the Combined Authority in the years to come.

“Devolved funding and powers for our area are vitally important and we hope this is just the start.  There is a huge amount we can achieve with the Mayor and Combined Authority by working closely together on the shared priorities of transport, net zero, economic growth and housing delivery.

“I’m confident that together we will seize the opportunities provided by devolution to help improve the lives of residents, businesses and visitors across the whole of our region”.

Powers and responsibilities for the new Mayor include:

• Responsibility for 30-year Mayoral Investment Fund and the powers to borrow against funds
• Full devolution of the Adult Education Budget
• Powers to improve the supply and quality of housing and secure the development of land or infrastructure
• Powers and funds to improve transport through a consolidated, devolved, multi-year transport settlement
• Responsibilities for community safety and the powers to appoint a Deputy Mayor to carry out many of the duties previously held by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Devolution timeline – key moments

• • 1 August 2022 – A proposed devolution deal, negotiated between the City of York and North Yorkshire councils, the Government, and local authorities, is announced for York and North Yorkshire.
  • February 2023 – Results of regionwide public consultation, which showed support for plans, and the scheme for devolution were submitted to the Secretary of State following decisions by City of York and North Yorkshire councils.
  • 20 December 2023 – York and North Yorkshire’s devolution order comes into force, having been through Parliament. This allows powers to move from Westminster to the region.
  • 22 January 2024 – First meeting of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
  • 1 February 2024 – Launch of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
  • 2 May 2024 – An election to appoint a Mayor for York and North Yorkshire.
  • 7 May 2024 – David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, takes up their position in office.