Issued by City of York Council
York is set to join forces with local authorities in West Yorkshire under new arrangements set out by the Department of Transport (DfT) today, that will see a joint Local Transport Body that will determine how funding for major transport schemes in York will be spent.
Today, the DfT published indicative funding levels for the Local Transport Bodies taking these decisions and confirmed the geographical areas that these bodies will cover, of which West Yorkshire and York will receive £60 million in the period up to 2018/19. In addition, as part of the City Deal, the West Yorkshire and York area will receive a further £123m over the next 10 years up to 2024/25.
At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 9 October Members agreed to notify the DfT that York wished to be included in the new arrangements for the authority to join the West Yorkshire Local Transport Body.
As a Local Transport Authority, York will work collaboratively with all neighbouring authorities, but the new partnership with West Yorkshire offers the most scope to maximise funding and investment for York whilst supporting the delivery of economic growth.
Cllr Dave Merrett, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “This will support investment in transport to support the Leeds City Region & York economies, maximising the collective benefit. We will also be collaboration between the wider Leeds and Manchester City Regions to drive improvements in rail transport with the potential devolution of rail services in the North of England.”
Cllr James Alexander, Labour Leader of City of York Council, said: “York is committed to working with partner authorities to drive the economic growth across the North of England and has been a key partner from the beginning of the negotiations.
“This is why City of York Council announced last October that York would be joining forces with local authorities in West Yorkshire in new arrangements set out by the Department of Transport (DfT). Through this joint Local Transport Body we can now make local decisions that will determine how funding for major transport schemes in York will be spent.
“A key part of these new arrangements is the 10-year West Yorkshire Plus Transport fund to inject a share of £1.5billion into the region, this will be vital to ensuring local authorities can make key local decisions on transport provision, which will promote future job growth and economic investment.”
From 2015, each Local Transport Body will be allocated funding according to the number of people living within its boundaries. This is a change from previous arrangements, where local areas bid for a share of a central funding pot, putting forward specific schemes for consideration
In developing the detailed arrangements for a West Yorkshire and York LTB it is proposed that this is done on the basis that York’s major scheme funding is spent either on schemes with a mutual benefit to West Yorkshire and York (and potentially other LTB’s) or on schemes of benefit to York and its vicinity.
This may be applicable to schemes such as improving surface access to Leeds Bradford International Airport, upgrading the York Northern Outer Ring Road and Harrogate rail line, and developing a York rail station bus interchange and other bus and Park & Ride priorities.
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