Published: Friday, 25th September 2015
Cannock Chase Council’s Cabinet has made a recommendation that the Council join the emerging West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as a non-constituent member.
Cannock Chase Council has been invited to join the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority along with all other District and Borough Councils in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (including Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council in Leicestershire).
The WMCA would work together across the region to deliver conditions for business to flourish, creating more skilled and better paid jobs. To bring investment into the area, improve health outcomes and reform public services.
Cabinet has recommended a £10,000 financial contribution from existing budgets to the WMCA for their set up costs in the 2015/16 financial year. Should Council determine to join the WMCA as a non-constituent member, further reports on the detail of the governance arrangements and benefits arising from any devolution will be sought.
Councillor George Adamson, Leader of Cannock Chase Council said: "The Council's mission is 'Leading our community to deliver better jobs and skills, more and better housing, cleaner and safer environments and better health outcomes'.
Decision making in England is highly centralised. The Government's devolution agenda agreed with central Government, this could facilitate the Council to deliver better jobs and a higher level of skills in the District and for its working age population to benefit from improved transport connectivity across the West Midlands."
Tony McGovern, Managing Director said: "Many residents travel from Cannock Chase District to work in Birmingham and the Black Country and many companies are part of a supply chain network across the wider West Midlands area, especially in the automotive industry. These economic factors cut across traditional administrative boundaries and public bodies need to plan and work together to respond to the challenges and opportunities of being part of a regional and global economy".
The seven Metropolitan Councils of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton have made a commitment in principle to develop a proposal to establish a West Midlands Combined Authority by 1 April 2016. A Statement of Intent was published on 5 July 2015 setting out how a proposed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) would work across the three existing Local Enterprise Partnerships of Greater Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country and Coventry & Warwickshire to deliver conditions for business to flourish, creating more skilled and better paid jobs, bringing more investment into the area, improving health outcomes and reforming public services. It sets out key objectives to increase competitiveness and productivity and be a driver for growth nationally.
The Secretary of State will undertake formal public consultation lasting 8 weeks on any Scheme to establish a combined authority unless he considers that no further consultation is necessary. Subject to Ministerial agreement, a draft Order to establish the combined authority would then be laid before Parliament.
Once established, a combined authority is a legally recognised entity able to assume the role of an integrated transport authority and economic prosperity board. This gives the combined authority the power to exercise any function of its constituent councils that relates to economic development and regeneration, and any of the functions that are available to integrated transport authorities. For transport purposes, combined authorities are able to borrow money and can levy constituent authorities.
The recommendation from Cabinet will go to Council on Monday 12th October for a decision.