Deputy North Yorkshire Council Leader: "It's Not Unicorns and Rainbows"

​North Yorkshire Council chiefs say they would rather not increase council tax by the maximum allowed — but they don’t live “in a world of unicorns and rainbows”.

Members of the authority voted in favour of a 4.99 per cent increase at a full council meeting at County Hall in Northallerton today while agreeing the budget for 2026/27.

Deputy leader Gareth Dadd, executive member for finance and resources, told colleagues nobody in the council chamber wanted to make the above-inflation rise.

But he added:

“We’re not living in a world of unicorns and rainbows. We’re living in the real world and you can only play with the cards you’re dealt.”

The Conservative-led administration faced criticism from opposition councillors over the increase and details within the budget.

Councillor Kevin Foster, leader of the Green Party and Independents, said his group would not support the budget because of a “double-whammy” of a high council tax rise and a 4.8 per cent increase in council house rents.

He added:

“At a time when many of our tenants are already struggling with the cost of living, rising food prices, energy bills and everyday essentials, a rent increase of this scale sends the wrong message.

“These are not abstract figures in a report; this is real money being taken from people who often have the least capacity to absorb extra costs.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Walker said the budget included a £1.1m upgrade to council-owned Filey Brigg Caravan and Camping Site but a £500,000 cut to disabled children’s services and £50,000 removed from public health community involvement.

He also noted that the council was stopping providing Christmas trees and hanging baskets in the former Harrogate and Scarborough districts, and discontinuing free newspapers in libraries.

He added:

“We were promised that local government reorganisation would deliver efficiencies, but today’s budget proves the opposite —
record‑high council tax, shrinking services, heritage stripped back, children’s services under pressure, voluntary groups cut, toilets in chaos, libraries losing access, and high streets paying more to park.

“I cannot support a budget that prioritises caravans over children, glamping sites over community spirit, and higher taxes for diminishing returns.”

In response, Cllr Dadd said it was “pretty insulting to suggest that us around this table and on this side of the chamber have turned our back on vulnerable people and people in need”.

He added:

“Everything we’ve done over the last four or five years, and in fact before that, as a county councillor, has been prioritising those at what the layman would call bottom of the pile, those in need, those vulnerable people.

“There’s nothing in it for us politically, as you will know, but we’ve done it because it’s the right thing to do, and as long as I’m here we’ll continue to do it.

“We have a council tax reduction scheme that reflects that, we have a household support fund that reflects that and, dare I say it, the home-to-school transport changes reflected that as well. I’m very proud to stand here and propose this budget.”

Senior councillors have blamed the government’s recent fair funding settlement — dubbed by Cllr Dadd as the “unfair settlement” — for the need to increase council tax by the maximum allowed without triggering a referendum.

The council tax rise equates to an increase of £96.78 per year for an average Band D property to a total bill of £2,036.32.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Dadd also supported the decision to appoint Robert Heseltine as the authority's vice chairman:

"I supported Robert because of his service to the people of North Yorkshire, in particular, this county council. He's been exemplary in the way that he's behaved and conducted himself within the county council. And for that, he deserves recognition as any other member would be given."

In 2000, Mr Heseltine admitted 12 charges of false accounting and was ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service.

Councillor Dadd says he deserves a second chance:

 

"I can understand eyebrows being raised, but that's all it should be, eyebrows raised, because when you actually analyse it, without getting into the conviction itself, it did happen nearly 20 years ago. He's been re-elected more than a dozen times by the people, he's served them and he served his punishment.

And if we stand for anything as a society, then county council should lead on, it is forgiveness and recognition of service, and for that he's a worthy contender to become Vice-Chairman. And I'm pleased, absolutely delighted, he's been approved by the majority of county councillors today."