Four devolution agreements have been signed off in what the secretary of state for local government describes as ‘only the first step’ of the Government’s devolution drive.
If approved by Parliament, the agreements will empower residents in Lincolnshire and in Hull and East Yorkshire to elect regional mayors. Combined county authorities will also be established in Devon & Torbay and Lancashire.
Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for local government and deputy prime minister, said: ‘This is only the first step of our major ambition to drive forward our devolution revolution, and ensure we empower more communities and strengthen the existing powers of our brilliant mayors.’
The Government is also ‘minded’ to progress with four non-mayoral devolution agreements with Cornwall Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Warwickshire County Council, and Surrey County Council.
Cllr Tim Oliver, chairman of the County Councils Network, welcomed the announcement but added the Government’s recent decision to scrap the devolution deals for Norfolk and Suffolk county councils was ‘disappointing’.
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Martin Hill OBE, said he was ‘pleased’ by the Government’s decision to go ahead with the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire.
‘Having a combined authority will give us the ability to liaise directly with the government about what is best for our residents, and we’ll be able to achieve our ambitious plans more quickly,’ he said.
Check out: Devolutionary road by Jonathan Werran, the chief executive of think-tank Localis.
