It's a turning point' says mayor Richard Parker as Government introduced devolution bill

Richard Parker said the new legislation would give allow decisions about building new homes and improving infrastructure to be made in the West Midlands rather than Westminster.

He said the Government was showing trust in the region's leaders.

“This bill marks a turning point," he said. "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.” 

Under the bill, the West Midlands Combined Authority would become an established mayoral strategic authority and get enhanced powers, as well as the right to request further controls.  

It will also make it easier for mayors - including the one for the West Midlands - to take responsibility for police and fire services. The previous mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, had attempted to take over these responsibilities, but was thwarted following a legal challenge from police and crime commissioner Simon Foster.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would make it easier for communities to take over pubs, shops and social hubs when they were put up for sale, and it would be easier to preserve sports grounds as community assets.

The bill also proposes a ban on 'upward only rent reviews' on commercial properties, which mean rents cannot fall even if the market rate declines. It also proposed streamlined powers for mayors across England to speed up the development of new homes and infrastructure

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the bill represented 'a new dawn of regional power', with the Government opting to 'devolve rather than dictate'.

"We're delivering a bill that will rebalance decade-old divides and empower communities," she said.

"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."

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Deepening devolution across the country is what delivers the change to the day-to-day services and opportunities on every region’s doorstep. From the new Anglia Ruskin University in Peterborough, to ticket caps for commuters on the Bee Network in Manchester and budding film and TV creatives flocking to Liverpool’s Littlewoods over Hollywood – devolution is what will bring this regeneration to all regions.