Several county devolution deals signed off: CCN responds

Today the government has announced it has signed off on four new county devolution deals, with ministers ‘minded to’ approve a further four more.

The government has signed off on agreements for directly mayors for Greater Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull. The former of these deals will be established using a combined county authority consisting of the county council and two neighbouring unitary authorities, with the latter a combined authority of two unitary authorities. Two further non-mayoral combined county authorities were also signed off for Lancashire and Devon and Torbay.

In addition, the government said it was ‘minded to’ approve level 2 agreements with Cornwall Council, Surrey County Council, Warwickshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Council. However, the government has confirmed that level three single county deals in Norfolk and Suffolk will no longer proceed.

Responding to today’s announcement, the County Councils Network Chairman Cllr Tim Oliver said:

“The County Councils Network (CCN) strongly welcomes today’s announcement that the government will continue to progress mayoral and non-mayoral devolution deals with its members in Devon, Lincolnshire, East Riding, and Lancashire. Crucially, those agreements which cover two-tier areas will continue to use the Combined County Authority (CCA) model. These new arrangements will add impetus to the major role CCN authorities have to play in supporting ministers’ central mission of driving economic growth.

“The government has also confirmed that county deals covering single county geographies will continue to be an option, but only non-mayoral ‘level two’ deals such as those it is minded to agree in Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire and Cornwall. While it is welcome these deals will progress, it is disappointing that previous agreements in Norfolk and Suffolk will not.

“CCN acknowledges that the governments preferred option is for a mayoral combined authority with mayors covering larger geographical areas than just a single county footprint. But it is clear that a directly-elected mayor is not the right form of governance for some CCN members at this time and we should avoid revisiting previously agreed geographies at a time when all areas need to be driving economic growth, and rapidly.

“It is critical that the government now continues to work positively with CCN and its members to ensure that within the forthcoming Devolution Framework and English Devolution Bill the CCA model becomes the default arrangement in non-metropolitan areas, while confirming all future deals cover whole county geographies. Moreover, non-mayoral deals should be progressed at the same pace as mayoral arrangements if the government wants to realise its ambitions to both widen and deepen devolution in England.”