Devolution will help coronavirus recovery claim as West Yorkshire deal consultation launched

The five local authorities covering West Yorkshire – Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees, and Calderdale – and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed to launch a consultation on the plans on Monday.

They say the deal, which was announced in the Budget in March, was the biggest ever of its kind and would mean local leaders could decide how to spend £38m a year for 30 years, rather than the power remaining with Whitehall.

The deal would lead to the appointment of an elected mayor, who would be put in place next year, and control would be given over transport, infrastructure, skills and more.

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A joint statement released by the West Yorkshire leaders today said: “This is an important milestone in delivering the West Yorkshire devolution deal, which will drive up living standards through investment in transport, improving skills and supporting business.

“Although this deal was signed in what now feels like a very different time, its importance has only grown as our region responds to the COVID-19 pandemic and plans for the recovery of our economy and our communities.

“We know that our region is particularly vulnerable to economic downturns and some of our communities will be among those hardest hit.

“The additional funding from this deal, more than £1.8bn, and the freedoms it provides to make major decisions will be crucial as we shape a recovery that ensures all our communities are supported and strengthened.

“Over the longer term, our commitment remains to raising living standards, improving air quality and tackling the climate emergency while making a full contribution to the UK’s economic recovery and long-term growth.”

Providing more detail on the advantages to devolution, they said: “We expect the Government to continue to make new funding and powers available to areas with devolution deals and this agreement will ensure we are at the front of the queue. Devolution means that decisions taken by central government will instead be devolved to local decision-makers, more directly accountable to local people.

“We look forward to moving forward with the consultation and hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to have their say on this deal and the future for West Yorkshire it can help us deliver.”

But it was acknowledged more needs to be done to convince the public that West Yorkshire’s devolution deal was more that a deal between “suits”.

Ahead of the consultation launch, at a meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority yesterday, Leeds Council member Stewart Golton, said: “This deal is clear and accessible for people who get to know about it, but the key is getting them to know about it.

“It is important we allow people to see the facts of what is being proposed, rather before they see what some people may put forward in terms of being mischievous.

“When we say the word ‘deal” some people read that as ‘stitch up’.

“We need to make sure people don’t see this as an agreement between a set of suits in London and a set of suits in the town halls of West Yorkshire – it is actually something meaningful for the people of our sub-region.”

Susan Hinchcliffe, the authority’s chairwoman and Bradford Council leader, said: “The word devolution is quite off-putting. People will glaze over when you mention it. It does sound quite technical, and the challenge is to make it sound more interesting.

“I tell people it is about powers and money that allow us to do more things locally that people want.

“We need to make it so every person in the region sees the benefit of it.”

Roger Marsh, head of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “People need to get a sense of what’s on offer, not what the minutiae of it deal is – that can be a turn off.”

Ms Hinchcliffe added: “You make a good point, people don’t care about the minutiae, what’s in section 3.2 or what scrutiny committees there will be – we need to let people know what the new opportunities are.”

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive on Tuesday members were told that public consultations in other areas that have been handed devolved powers, such as Manchester, only attracted responses in the “low hundreds”.

The deal comes after a similar package was announced for South Yorkshire, with talks ongoing in North Yorkshire and Hull and East Riding ongoing.

To take part in the consultation from Monday, visit yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/WHYdevolution, email [email protected], call 0800 141 3657, or write to Freepost WY Devolution Consultation.

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