Uredale Community Partnership
Bringing local people, organisations and businesses together to shape the future of Ripon, Masham and the rural hinterland.
The Uredale Community Partnership (UCP) gives the Uredale area a collective voice. We bring together the public, private, community and voluntary sectors to identify what matters locally, gather the evidence, and make sure it reaches the people who make decisions about services, investment and planning.
UCP was set up in July 2024 as one of five community partnership pilots backed by North Yorkshire Council. It builds on the foundations of Ripon Together and is now moving from pilot to delivery.
We are independent and non-political. We don’t replace the council or any statutory body. Our role is to connect people, bring forward local insight and influence decisions so they reflect the real needs of our communities.
NYC announces community partnership pilots – June 7, 2023
Ripon leads the way in North Yorkshire – July 29, 2024
Read the partnership’s first year report – July 2024 – August 2025
Find meeting reports and presentations
For Businesses and Employers
Local businesses are helping shape the future of Ripon and Uredale. Find out what employers have told us, what we’re doing about skills, housing and connectivity, and how you can get involved.
Coming up
Where is Uredale?
We focus our prorioties on an area that follows the River Ure from Masham down to Langthorpe. This covers the four North Yorkshire Council divisions: Ripon Ure Bank & Spa, Ripon Minster & Moorside, Masham & Fountains, and Wath Vale & Bishop Monkton, and takes in a population of about 33,000 people.
Who is involved?
More than 50 organisations take part in UCP, many of which through our Working Groups. Each group focuses on a priority that local people and partners identified:
- Housing
- Connectivity (transport and digital)
- Young People
- Access to Services
- Culture and Green Spaces
Skills and workforce runs across all five groups. The full partnership adopted it as a shared priority in June 2026.
A volunteer Steering Group coordinates the partnership, supported by a part-time Partnership Co-ordinator.
What we are making progress on…
- Co-ordinated local input into the North Yorkshire Local Plan
- Engaged with Homes England on the Clotherholme development
- Supported community transport pilots in Masham and progress on the Ripon to Fountains Abbey cycle route
- Lobbied collectively on mobile “not-spots” and shared gigabit rollout information
- Brought young people’s views into local investment planning
- Started mapping cultural assets across Uredale and backed the UK Town of Culture 2028 bid
- Fed business priorities into the Ripon City Investment Plan
Who can join the partnership?
Membership is open to representatives from:
- North Yorkshire Council Division Councillors
- Parish and Town Councils
- Voluntary and community sector organisations
- Local businesses and employers
- Public service providers (health, education, policing)
- Faith groups
- Youth representatives
- Other local activists and stakeholders
Members act in the interests of the wider Uredale community and contribute positively to discussions.
Uredale Community Partnership Members
Benefits of the community partnership…
- Empowered Local Decision-Making: The partnership, with its diverse range of stakeholders, informs local service deliverers what changes would best meet local needs; and ensures that decisions reflect the unique needs and aspirations of each community
- Enhanced Collaboration: A collective voice, where expertise from various sectors promotes innovative solutions to local challenges, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes
- Increased Community Resilience: Local agent for economic and social change to help the community to become more self-reliant and resilient
- Improved Service Delivery: Collaborative efforts enable the development of services that are better tailored to the specific needs of the community, enhancing overall well-being and social connectedness
- Create Community Initiatives: Develop and expand projects such as community recognition awards, initiatives for active travel and accessibility, summer activities for children, green fairs, and joint celebrations of national events
Membership
Membership is open to representatives from:
- North Yorkshire Council (Division Councillors)
- Parish and Town Councils
- Voluntary and community sector organisations
- Local businesses and employers
- Public service providers (health, education, policing, etc.)
- Faith groups
- Youth representatives
- Other invited local activists and stakeholders as appropriate
Members act in the interests of the wider Uredale community and contribute positively to discussions.