Former deputy prime minister, Lord Heseltine, has backed a West Midlands-based pilot project to devolve Whitehall-controlled funding and responsibilities in support of driving economic growth.
The Conservative peer will advise a three-month review, known as the Greater Birmingham Project, to explore how the city-region could manage central government funding streams and powers currently held by central government departments to drive local growth.
The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group will investigate which areas and firms are most likely to create jobs and regeneration opportunities if given control of devolved powers and cash.
Upon completion of the review, officials and business leaders hope to run a pilot scheme capable of being rolled out across England’s local enterprise partnerships.
Visit The MJ for more on this story.
