North Yorkshire Council’s size gives it the ability to navigate difficult challenges - George Jabbour

To tackle the challenge, several working groups had been set up in 2022 to devise policies and make recommendations for the new Council with respect to taxi and premises licensing, planning, bin collection and other functions.

Although I was a member of the Council Tax Harmonisation working group, I attended and contributed to the meetings of the majority of the other committees. It was heartening to see Councillors from the various political parties working together, sharing ideas and exploring endless options and alternatives to give the new Council the best start.

In addition, I was appointed to the Transition (Local Government Reorganisation) Overview and Scrutiny Committee when it was formed in 2022 to review the decisions and performance of the Council during its transformation journey, including in areas such as customer service, staffing, property assets and IT infrastructure.

Nine months into the life of North Yorkshire Council, it is clear that the overhaul of local government has been extremely positive. It also came at a crucial time because the overall net savings that would be generated from reforms and economies of scale would alleviate the financial pressures caused by inflation and the economic backdrop.

Furthermore, following the establishment of the unitary Council, the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire is now underway with hundreds of millions of pounds of investment directed to our communities in the coming years.

Having said that, the new Council has to make some tough choices about delicate situations inherited from its predecessors.

One of the most strategically critical examples is about the level of investment that would go into Harrogate Convention Centre, which has already attracted many benefits to the region. Another instance involves the Alpamare water park as its owner went into administration with millions of pounds owed to North Yorkshire Council as a result of a loan extended by the former Scarborough Borough Council.

The ability of the new Council to navigate these difficult cases is distinctively enhanced because of its size and county-wide focus. This in turn will bring extra opportunities that did not exist before.

This does not mean that it will be plain sailing in 2024.

However, with the prudent management of taxpayers' money and the efficient maximisation of the advantages of reorganisation, North Yorkshire Council will not only maintain its reliable services, but will also thrive.

George Jabbour is the councillor for Helmsley & Sinnington.