North Yorkshire Council Challenges Transport Funding Decision in Legal Move

A dispute over transport funding has escalated, with North Yorkshire Council initiating legal action against the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA).

The council is seeking a judicial review after opposing a recently approved Transport Capital Programme budget covering 2026 to 2030. Local leaders argue the decision could result in a £20 million shortfall for road maintenance across North Yorkshire.

The budget was backed by Mayor David Skaith and representatives from City of York Council, but rejected by North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les and deputy leader Gareth Dadd. Their concerns centre on how funding has been allocated, including claims that additional government money has been redirected towards other transport priorities.

Council leaders have also raised objections to changes in the funding formula, which they say will divert around £4 million away from North Yorkshire to York.

In a formal pre-action letter, the authority has alleged that the decision-making process contained legal flaws. The council argues that the budget should have required unanimous agreement under the combined authority’s constitution and claims it was not given the opportunity to propose amendments before the vote.

Despite taking legal steps, the council has indicated it would prefer to resolve the matter without court proceedings. The letter highlights a desire to address the concerns collaboratively, warning that litigation would come with financial and reputational costs for all parties involved.

Carl Les said the council’s position is based on protecting local residents, arguing that the decision undermines the principles of consensus that the combined authority was established on. He maintained that the process used to approve the budget did not meet constitutional requirements.

Mayor Skaith has strongly criticised the move, describing it as unnecessary and warning it could delay investment. He suggested the legal challenge risks wasting public funds and slowing progress on planned transport improvements.

Alongside the legal action, North Yorkshire Council has asked its scrutiny committee to review the decision in further detail, as tensions continue over how transport funding should be distributed across the region.