Devolution powers are a ‘turning point’ for the region, Mayor says
New devolution powers for the West Midlands have been hailed as a ‘turning point’ for the region.
The landmark English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is introduced to Parliament today (Thursday, July 10) promising to enable people to take back control of their regions.
The bill means the West Midlands Combined Authority will become an established ‘Mayoral Strategic Authority’ and get the deepest powers and the right to request further powers.
The Bill will also allow regional mayors, including West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, to take on responsibility for police and fire.
Other aspects of the bill include making more local ownership of pubs, shops and social hubs easier through a community right to buy, a new ‘sporting’ category protection of local aspects to save local sports grounds and banning upward only rent reviews clauses in commercial leases.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This Bill marks a turning point.
“Answers to the country’s biggest challenges don’t lie in Westminster – they lie in our communities.
“With the right powers, we can build the homes we need, fix our infrastructure, and create better opportunities for local people.
“What we’re seeing today is the government listening and acting in the best interests of our country.
“The West Midlands will use these new powers to deliver faster, go further and we’ll make real change happen on the ground.
“That means jobs, growth, journeys and homes – but it also means giving people a greater say in what happens on their doorstep.
“I’ve always said devolution is about trust, this bill trusts local leaders to deliver and it trusts communities to shape their own future. It’s a new chapter for our region and the country as a whole.”
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We were elected on a promise of change, not just for a few areas cherry-picked by a Whitehall spreadsheet, but for the entire country.
“It was never going to be easy to deliver the growth our country desperately needed with the inheritance we were dumped with.
“But that’s why we are opting to devolve not dictate and delivering a Bill that will rebalance decade old divides and empower communities.
“We’re ushering in a new dawn of regional power and bringing decision making to a local level so that no single street or household is left behind and every community thrives from our Plan for Change.”
