North Yorkshire Council launched on 1 April replacing the eight authorities previously providing district and county level services.

You will be able to contact the new council by phone on 0300 131 2 131 or apply, book and pay for services online and report problems 24/7 by visiting www.northyorks.gov.uk.

The council is the geographically largest council in England. It has been built with local at its heart and aims to be the most local, large council in the country. The same staff will provide the services that they deliver now, and you can still access support and services via your local council building. This includes a main office in each former district area which will continue to give advice and face-to-face expertise. In addition to this, many areas also have a local office – often a library – where you can obtain advice and assistance to access council services, and this will not change.

By making this change now, it gives North Yorkshire Council the best possible chance of protecting valued services at a time of exceptional financial pressures and high demand. Joining up services will allow the council to maximise spending power, meaning there is potential savings of between £30 million and £70 million which will then become annual savings. This money can be used to protect important local services at a critical time when everyone and every organisation is feeling the pressure.

The council will have a clear economic growth strategy that plays to the county’s strengths, such as green technologies and established industries like tourism, high-quality food and drink production, and agriculture. The new council will work at the heart of a mayoral-led combined authority, with the City of York, to promote the area as an outstanding location for inward investment and develop a seamless offer of business support. North Yorkshire Council will also work with the county’s six MPs to ensure we have a strong and consistent voice so that the Government understands the issues that affect our businesses and economy, and helps us to act on them.

To find out more, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk