York and West Yorkshire has been delegated money to invest in improving local transport systems.

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.

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

The York Council says, “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”.

However there is no guarantee that any of this investment will be spent in York. Decisions continue to be taken in private and residents are not consulted on priorities.
When it decided to go in with the much larger West Yorkshire area, The York Council should have negotiated a “minimum spend” guarantee for the City. Otherwise the chances are that York’s unique needs will be swamped by the demands from other parts of the region.