North Yorkshire's new council appoint Scarborough's Richard Flinton as chief executive

Scarborough-born Richard Flinton will oversee the new council, which launches in Spring next year.

Mr Flinton is currently the chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council and he was unanimously approved for the role by members of the authority at a meeting today, Wednesday August 17.

Mr Flinton said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to become the chief executive of the new council at a time of huge change and opportunity in North Yorkshire.

“We are faced with some unprecedented challenges that have arisen from rising inflation as well as pressures on social care and also the issues which all local authorities are facing in recruiting and retaining staff to their workforces.

“But with those challenges come immense opportunities, while working with colleagues in North Yorkshire’s district and borough councils to introduce the new unitary authority.

“We will be able to streamline services and ensure even more value for money for North Yorkshire’s taxpayers, freeing up millions of pounds in funding. That funding will be used to support frontline services and also help alleviate the financial pressures which we all are experiencing.

“So much good work has been done already alongside our colleagues in the district and borough councils, and I do feel privileged to be able to play a part in shaping the way forward in what is such a huge moment in North Yorkshire’s history.”

The new unitary authority will be established when North Yorkshire County Council merges with existing seven district and borough councils to deliver services ranging from social care and education to waste collection, recycling and highways maintenance.

The overhaul of local government is also set to pave the way for a long-awaited devolution deal, proposals of which were unveiled this month (August) and could see decision-making powers shifted from the Government to York and North Yorkshire with total funding of more than £540 million over a 30-year period.

Mr Flinton’s forthcoming role involves overseeing about 10,500 staff, excluding schools, who will deliver the essential public services provided by the eight councils currently operating across England’s largest county. He will also be responsible for overseeing a budget of £1.4 billion.