North Yorkshire Councillors To Vote On Motion Urging Mayor To Reconsider £20m Highway Funding Reallocation

North Yorkshire councillors are being asked to back a motion calling for regional Mayor David Skaith to reconsider a decision on highway funding, which council leaders claim reallocates millions of pounds from North Yorkshire to York.

North Yorkshire councillors are being asked to back a motion urging the regional Mayor, David Skaith, to reverse his decision regarding highway maintenance capital funding.

The dispute centres around a change in the highway maintenance allocation split between North Yorkshire Council and the City of York Council for the period between 2026 and 2030. The revised ratio stands at 90:10, representing a significant shift from the previous 92.7:7.3 split.

North Yorkshire Council leaders claim the move will cost the county £20 million in road repair funding over the four-year period, with £4 million diverted directly to York.

At a recent meeting, the council's executive committee resolved to recommend to the full council that, as a matter of urgency, the authority urges the Mayoral Combined Authority and the Mayor to reconsider their decision and consult with North Yorkshire Council on the proposals.

Executive member for highways, Councillor Malcolm Taylor, said:

"Having heard concerns and views from the scrutiny committee and anger from others, I move that this executive recommends to full council next Wednesday as a matter of urgency, given the time-sensitive nature that this matter is, that this authority urges the MCA and Mayor to reconsider and consult with North Yorkshire Council about the highways capital funding proposals as detailed within the report.

In effect, the Mayor gets back around the table and honours his previous pledge to work for the entire subregion of York and North Yorkshire."

Councillor Mark Crane expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Mayor's adjustments to the Department for Transport funding formula.

Councillor Mark Crane said:

"I think it's outrageous what he's doing. It's frankly outrageous, and he needs to be told it's just simply not acceptable to take money from North Yorkshire and give it to York.

There is a clear formula set out by Department for Transport. He's ridden roughshod over that. He's ridden roughshod over the rule book, and he's costing this county millions of pounds.

And it's right that it goes to full council for a discussion, and I hope that every one of the 90 of us supports this council in asking the mayor to give us the money that is properly ours."

Around £30 million is being set aside by the combined authority for repairs to the major roads network, with another funding pot allocated for minor improvements such as dropped kerbs and new crossings.

However, councillors argue that the authority will actually receive around £20 million less over the four years due to the changes than it would if the money came directly from the Department for Transport.

North Yorkshire Council has already initiated formal legal proceedings and is actively seeking a judicial review. The authority argues that the budgetary decision was made without the required unanimous agreement.

North Yorkshire Council Leader, Councillor Carl Les, previously noted that there had been little discussion about the changes and maintained that the budgetary item should not have been decided by majority voting.

Mayor David Skaith has defended the budget, stating that the council will receive a record-breaking £268 million over the next four years to fix roads. He has described the council's legal action as a political stunt which could waste taxpayer money.

The Mayor added that the funding package is designed for residents who are tired of broken roads and want them made safer, regardless of how the situation is spun.

The reallocation of funds comes at a time when North Yorkshire's roads have suffered significant deterioration due to severe weather exposure, altitude, and heavy traffic. According to the council, over 2,200 potholes have been fixed in the last eighteen months.

The full council will meet on Wedneday to debate the motion and decide whether to officially urge the Mayoral Combined Authority to reconsider the 2026 to 2030 highway maintenance capital funding arrangements.