Yorkshire and Humber Assembly

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly
source
Name	Yorkshire and Humber Assembly
Formation	2000s
Dissolution	2008
Type	Regional consultative body
Region served	Yorkshire and the Humber
Headquarters	Leeds
Leader title	Chair
Parent organization	Department for Communities and Local Government

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly was a regional consultative body in England established to coordinate regional strategies, liaise with national agencies, and represent Yorkshire and the Humber interests. It sought to link local authorities, development agencies, and statutory bodies such as the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber and Yorkshire Forward with national departments including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport. The Assembly operated alongside organisations like the Local Government Association and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce until its abolition in 2008, playing a role in debates involving bodies such as the European Regional Development Fund and the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.

History

The Assembly emerged from late-1990s regionalisation discussions involving the Labour Party (UK), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2001–2006), and earlier regional planning experiments associated with the Regional Development Agency model. Influences included policymaking from the Home Office and the Cabinet Office as well as precedents set by the North East Assembly, South East England Regional Assembly, and East Midlands Regional Assembly. Its development intersected with regional initiatives such as the Northern Way and pan-regional strategies promoted by the Commission for Integrated Transport and the Environmental Audit Committee in Westminster. Key milestones referenced inquiries from the Regional Select Committee and consultations that involved stakeholders like the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress.

Structure and Membership

The Assembly's composition drew members from principal local authorities including Leeds City Council, Sheffield City Council, Bradford City Council, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Hull City Council, and North Yorkshire County Council. It also included representatives from agencies and bodies such as Yorkshire Forward, the Learning and Skills Council, NHS strategic bodies including NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, and voluntary sector organisations like the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Citizens Advice Bureau. Chairs and vice-chairs were often figures with links to national institutions such as the Local Government Association and members had connections to groups including the Federation of Small Businesses, British Chambers of Commerce, Arts Council England, English Heritage, Sport England, and trade unions including Unison and the GMB (trade union). Meetings were hosted in venues across Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Doncaster, and Wakefield.

Functions and Powers

The Assembly acted as a consultative forum interfacing with the Department for Communities and Local Government, influencing regional spatial strategies that related to planning authorities under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. It provided input into transport priorities affecting routes like the M62 motorway corridor and rail projects connected to Network Rail and strategic schemes debated by the Highways Agency. The Assembly engaged with initiatives funded by the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, and collaborated with economic actors including Yorkshire Bank and Sheffield Forgemasters-linked industry stakeholders. It worked on cultural agendas referencing institutions such as the Tate Modern (in comparative national policy), National Museum of Photography, Film & Television (now National Media Museum), and regional arts networks coordinated with Arts Council England.

Political Activities and Policy Influence

Politically, the Assembly contributed to regional strategies interacting with the Regional Spatial Strategy process and submitted evidence to parliamentary bodies including the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. It engaged with transport lobbying that intersected with debates in the Department for Transport and scrutiny by the Transport Select Committee. The Assembly influenced skills and employment agendas aligned with the Learning and Skills Council and engaged in regeneration programmes alongside English Partnerships and private sector investors such as Peel Group and Muse Developments. It participated in environmental and flood resilience discussions alongside the Environment Agency and in energy debates involving companies like National Grid and policy forums tied to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Relationships with Regional and Local Bodies

The Assembly maintained formal and informal linkages with regional entities including Yorkshire Forward, the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber, NHS regional structures, and the Local Strategic Partnerships within metropolitan boroughs. It coordinated with neighbouring regional bodies like the North West Regional Assembly and the East Midlands Regional Assembly on cross-boundary issues such as the M62 motorway and rail links to King's Cross. Collaboration extended to academic institutions such as the University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, University of York, Hull University, and think tanks such as the Institute for Public Policy Research and Centre for Cities.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics, including local authorities and members of Parliament such as those aligned with the Conservative Party (UK) and the UK Independence Party, challenged the Assembly's democratic legitimacy and cost in light of regional quangos debates sparked by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. Analysts from organisations like the TaxPayers' Alliance and commentators writing in outlets associated with the BBC and The Guardian questioned its mandate, overlap with Yorkshire Forward, and perceived duplication with county and city governance such as that of Leeds City Council and Sheffield City Council. Tensions arose over regional spatial strategy positions that provoked responses from developers including Balfour Beatty and campaigning groups like Friends of the Earth.

Legacy and Dissolution

Abolition followed policy shifts under ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government and the move toward alternative arrangements such as combined authorities exemplified by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, mayoral developments linked to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, and institutions like the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority. The Assembly's functions were absorbed or superseded by bodies including the Local Enterprise Partnerships, Homes and Communities Agency, and reconfigured regional teams within national departments. Its legacy persists in debates over devolution tied to the Northern Powerhouse initiative and continuing regional partnerships involving universities, chambers such as the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, and cultural networks around institutions like the Royal Armouries and York Minster.

Category:Regional assemblies in England