Trailblazing devolution deal signed
giving West Midlands more control over transport, skills and housing
The Levelling Up Secretary and Mayor
Andy Street have signed a landmark deeper devolution deal for the West Midlands
putting more cash and power in the hands of local leaders.
·
Deal includes regeneration package worth up to £160
million and more local control over transport, regeneration, skills and culture
·
West Midlands to take control of local spending
with new funding settlement alongside local retention of business rates
·
Move sees biggest ever shift of powers and funding
from Whitehall to an English region
The
Levelling Up Secretary and Mayor Andy Street have today (20 March) signed a
landmark deeper devolution deal for the West Midlands, marking a seismic shift
in power, funding and responsibility from Whitehall to the region.
The
deal puts more cash and power in the hands of local leaders to invest in the
priorities that local communities truly care about, such as better bus and
train services, skills and housing.
A new
long-term funding settlement will enable the mayor and local councils to plan
for the long term, with certainty, and unlock tangible benefits for almost 3
million people living in the area.
Speaking
from Coventry on 20th March, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove
said:
Visionary
local leaders like Andy Street understand the needs of their areas better than
decision-makers in Whitehall - that is why it is vital that we put more power
and control in their hands.
This
deal goes further than we’ve ever gone before. It will give the mayor
unprecedented power to spend on local priorities and more control over
transport, skills and housing– the things people truly care about.
Today
marks a bold new frontier in devolution in this country, and it’s fantastic to
see the West Midlands right at the forefront.
Andy
Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said:
This
is a truly landmark moment for our region as this Deeper Devolution Deal has
resulted in Whitehall granting significant powers and funding to the West
Midlands - recognising the importance of local leaders on the ground having
greater financial autonomy and decision-making authority.
Team
West Midlands has worked incredibly hard to agree the best possible deal for
our residents having earned the trust of Government thanks to our track record
of delivery since the formation of the Combined Authority. Devolution is very
much a journey and our task now is to work together to show the further trust
placed in us is well founded.
I want
to pay tribute to the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Secretary of State for
Levelling Up for their vision and bravery in making this deal happen. Together,
we can continue to improve quality of life for local people right across our
region in the months and years ahead.
The
deal confirmed today deepens existing powers which have already delivered
significant wins for the region. New measures include:
·
A new long-term funding settlement, including the
right to retain 100% of business rates for 10 years.
·
A wide-ranging partnership with Homes England, with
a commitment to work towards investing £400m in the West Midlands by 2026.
·
Further support for regeneration and infrastructure
with £100m of brownfield funding and £60 million of investment in the metro
line extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill.
·
Levelling up zones, backed by 25-year business rate
retention, to generate jobs and investment.
·
Greater control over public transport with a new
rail partnership with Great British Railways and the devolution of the payment
of the bus service operators grant.
·
The establishment of a transport ‘sandbox’ to put
the West Midlands at the forefront of transport innovation, with additional
commitments to a new Strategic Innovation Partnership and better access to
finance for local businesses.
·
More oversight and control over adult skills
funding and more responsibility over developing and delivering careers advice.
·
Devolution of funding to retrofit buildings, to
bring down energy bills for households across the West Midlands.
·
A new partnership with national arts and culture
organisations to harness the West Midlands’ globally renowned cultural
strengths.
·
Tools to support the roll-out of high-speed
broadband across the region and £4 million for devices and data to get more
people online.
Alongside
these powers, a new framework will ensure that decision-makers in areas with
devolution deals are accountable to their residents and deliver value for
money, with a clear ladder of intervention to respond to underperformance.
The
milestone comes days after the West Midlands was announced as one of 12 new
Investment Zone areas backed with £80 million over five years including
generous tax incentives to drive local growth.
Taken from government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/trailblazing-devolution-deal-signed-giving-west-midlands-more-control-over-transport-skills-and-housing
