Laura Sharman 21 October 2015

Sandwell votes to join combined authority

Sandwell Council has voted in favour of joining the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Last night, councillors voted unanimously in favour in joining Walsall, Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull and Wolverhampton councils as constituent members of the combined authority.

WMCA will enable the councils to work together to secure extra power from Government to develop strategies around transport and major regeneration projects.

Council leader, cllr Darren Cooper, said: ‘This decision is a big step towards creating a combined authority for the West Midlands.

‘The fact it was a unanimous decision shows a real appetite for us to join forces and work with our fellow councils. This will allow us to secure the best economic outcomes and make sure we have more of a say for our region.’

Final proposals on how the combined authority will work will go before Parliament in April 2016.

#Infrastructure #Devolution #Combined authority #Transport

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