THERE’S s a conundrum facing North Yorkshire County Council. After losing over a third of its spending power how does it go for growth and improve the lot of the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the council for so much?

It is hoped the authority’s latest plan lays out the hopes, dreams and possibilities to do just that. The aim is also to reassure not only the 600,000 people the county council is directly answerable too but also the wider audience it needs to get on side such as neighbouring potential devolution partners and wider government agencies.

There is no mention of cash in the six page plan, such as where it might come from or who might hand it over to achieve the aims of increased jobs, improved wages, housing and business development.

They already have, by necessity, a relationship with the district and borough councils as well as the Local Enterprise Partnership, which has control of some investment cash and is much lauded as being business and not politically led.

But there is an issue - devolution could open doors and purse strings, but the possibility of York and North Yorkshire joining with Humberside, East Riding and West Yorkshire for joint enterprise seems as far away as ever. So there is concern that the growth plan, while very laudable, lacks credible support. But in reality it’s a chicken and egg situation - the fact that the plan exists is a pledge of faith in the future, in the hope that things can and should improve economically.

With changes in business rates, and new approaches to independent development possibilities the nettle has to be grasped to establish a way forward. Maybe the county council has earned a pat on the back for making the effort.