Over the past month people in Driffield and the rest of the county have been given the chance to have their say on an issue which affects the future of the East Riding.
Earlier this year Hull City Council announced it was reviewing its boundaries with a view to looking into a possible expansion into the East Riding.
Every member of East Riding of Yorkshire Council voted unanimously to strongly resist any expansion plans by Hull City Council and decided to invite 70,000 residents in 12 parishes bordering the city of Hull to take part in a postal referendum about possible boundary changes.
Residents were asked whether they wanted their parishes to be included in an expanded city of Hull and also whether they thought Hull City Council should be allowed to build upon land it owns in the green, open spaces separating the city from East Riding towns and villages.
The answer to both questions was a resounding no.
A staggering 53,199 people – 75.27% of the electorate – voted, with 96.5% of them saying no to any expansion of Hull into the East Riding.
The results of a wider public consultation across the rest of the East Riding were equally resounding.
People in Driffield were among the thousands of residents who completed consultation forms about the boundary issue in the autumn edition of Your East Riding magazine.
Of 6,586 responses, 6,501 people (98.7%) said no to any Hull expansion into the East Riding.
The people of the East Riding have spoken and you have made your feelings very clear.
You are proud of your communities, you are proud to live in the East Riding and you don’t want boundary change.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council works extremely hard to provide high quality, good value services for its residents and it achieves this through excellent forward planning and strong financial management.
I believe this has been endorsed by the public’s overwhelming rejection of boundary change and by the excellent turn-out of 75.27% in the referendum, a figure which is unprecedented in recent elections of any nature.
We let the people have their say and the result was a victory for common sense and a victory for democracy.
I hope that the two councils can now put this issue firmly behind them and we can focus on the important job of working together for the good of the region.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council have achieved many successes through partnership working - for example securing the Siemens investment at Paull in the East Riding and at Alexandra Dock in Hull - and I certainly intend to continue this close co-operation through the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership in the months and years ahead.