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“ So much work has already been undertaken across all eight councils to prepare for the launch of the new authority , and I would like to pay tribute to the commitment and professionalism of all officers and members who have been instrumental in making sure we are ready for 1 April .”
The new council is being launched to pave the way for a devolution deal , which is set to provide more decision-making powers to local political leaders and millions of pounds in additional funding from the Government .
A proposed 30-year devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire , with an investment fund of £ 540 million , was unveiled on August 1 last year , and is due to lead to benefits ranging from new and better-paid jobs and improved skills and training to more affordable housing .
The Government stipulated that a key requirement for devolution is to replace the two-tier system of local government in North Yorkshire involving the county council and seven district and borough authorities and Ministers approved a bid for a single unitary authority . City of York Council will continue as a unitary authority to run in tandem with the new North Yorkshire Council .
The newly-merged council is already making inroads to improve housing conditions and tackle rogue landlords by introducing a new streamlined approach across North Yorkshire after securing £ 1.4 million in funding from the Government .
The funding comes from the Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities through the Pathfinder Programme and will be used to improve housing conditions and increase enforcement activity by recruiting additional housing officers as well as building closer links with organisations involved in the sector .
In preparation for the new council , officers involved in housing services across the authorities worked together to secure the funding , which will allow the service to create a centralised approach to housing enforcement .
The approach will include developing a new enforcement policy , allowing the council to investigate and tackle housing issues more effectively .
Increasing the number of housing officers will allow the new authority to recruit and train up to nine new employees to work alongside the current staff .
It is also hoped that the new housing strategy will improve relationships and joint working with partners such as the National Residential Landlords Association .
An extra £ 2.6 million worth of surface dressing works is also being delivered as part of an £ 8 million programme during spring and summer .
Surface dressing is a quick , efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces , helping to prevent potholes and extending the life of the road by up to ten years .
The surface dressing programme will begin mid-April in the Hambleton , Selby and Scarborough districts . It is due to run into Ryedale and Richmondshire in May , finishing in the Craven district in early June .
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