Regional Governance in Yorkshire and the Humber
The Yorkshire and Humber Assembly (YHA) is the region’s strategic partnership. The Assembly is responsible for providing regional leadership, agreeing regional strategic priorities, directing the development of the region’s Integrated Strategic Framework and endorsing key regional strategies. The YHA is currently the designated Regional Planning Body responsible for preparing the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Membership comprises all 22 local authorities in this region, plus 15 Social, Economic and Environmental partners, and the National Parks for planning purposes. The YHA has responsibility for regional planning, transport and housing functions, as well as the scrutiny of Yorkshire Forward as the Regional Development Agency
For more detail see www.yhassembly.gov.uk
Local Government Yorkshire and Humber (LGYH) was formed in April 2006, as a new regional partnership of local authorities. It is made up of the 22 local authorities in the region, and is the result of a merger between the Association of Local Authorities and the Local Government Management Board.
It provides a number of services to the regions’ local authorities, including delivering a regional capacity building programme backed by over £5 million of government funding; employment services to local authorities; developing a strong regional voice to influence central government and improving the reputation of local government.
Paul Rogerson, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council convenes a Regional Chief Executives Group which advises both organisations on key regional issues.
For more details see www.lgyh.gov.uk
Future Developments
In 2007 the Government published its Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR). This will see a move to integrated regional strategies which set out the economic, social and environmental objectives for the region. Under the proposals regional assemblies will cease to exist in their present form and responsibility for producing the new strategy will pass to a revised regional development agency working in conjunction with local authorities and city region and sub regional partnerships as appropriate.
Work to develop those new arrangements and to provide appropriate democratic scrutiny of future regional arrangements is currently under discussion. A consultation paper on the implementation of the SNR was published by Government on 31 March 2008.