Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark will sign a new devolution deal today, granting more power to Yorkshire communities. The deal will see new powers transferred to the directly elected mayor in York and North Yorkshire. It will also see £540m of government investment into the area.

The deal is the first of 13 deals outlined in the government's Levelling Up White Paper to become a reality. The signing coincides with celebrations taking place in the county for Yorkshire Day.

The devolution deal will create a new combined authority across Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, with a directly elected mayor enabling local leaders to address specific needs within the region better.

The mayor will have powers to invest in transport, housing, and education and will receive £540million from the government over the next 30 years. Transferring more power from central government to a directly elected mayor will allow this money to be invested according to local priorities.

York and North Yorkshire is the first city and rural region to see devolution on the scale enjoyed by the core city regions including South and West Yorkshire.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark MP said:

"Yorkshire Day 2022 is an historic one. It marks the return of powers and resources from London to much of the historic North Riding.

"Levelling up – driving prosperity and opportunity in all parts of Britain – is done best when people locally can forge the future of their area. This deal is a big step in that direction."

Once completed, the deal will give the new mayor control over a £540 million investment fund in total over 30 years, to drive growth and take forward local priorities over the longer term. The investment will support key local priorities, for example, capital infrastructure projects including transport and affordable housing, as well as schemes focusing on skills development and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

Other powers which will be devolved to from central government to Yorkshire and North Yorkshire will include:

• An integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25.

• The Adult Education functions and the core Adult Education Budget.

• Over £22.6m to support building new homes on brownfield land, deliver affordable homes, and drive green economic growth across York and North Yorkshire.

• Compulsory purchase powers and the ability to establish Mayoral Development Corporations.

The mayor will take also take on the role and functions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:

"The chance to secure a host of decision-making powers as well as bringing in millions of pounds of investment for North Yorkshire is a huge opportunity to shape the future of the county for many years to come.

"Whether it is improving skills and education, bringing in more investment to the region or helping improve transport links and providing much-needed affordable housing, the deal will enable us to take far greater control of our own destinies.

"An elected mayor representing both York and North Yorkshire would be a powerful figure to have a seat at the table for further negotiations with the Government, bringing real and tangible benefits to the region."

Leader of City of York Council, Cllr Keith Aspden said:

"This proposed deal is a significant milestone on the journey to secure devolution for York and North Yorkshire, and is undoubtedly a historic moment for our city, given the significant investment and powers this devolution deal can potentially bring to York and the wider region.

"Devolution represents a real opportunity to secure significant investment and powers for York and North Yorkshire, from progressing crucial work on BioYorkshire, delivering York Central, or helping us become England’s first carbon negative region.

"This proposed deal could unlock 30 years of investment to improve economic prosperity and long-term opportunities for all of our residents and businesses."