Cheshire East Council could have more decision-making powers sooner than anticipated as bosses are set for talks with the new Government over a devolution deal.
It could see the Government devolving new powers to the cash-strapped authority on transport, skills, housing, planning and employment.
CEC looks set to start detailed discussions with the government by the end of next month, along with Cheshire West & Chester and Warrington councils.
Cheshire East agreed in June to hold talks about devolution and had anticipated those discussions would take place over a nine to 12-month period.
With the change of government, it now looks as though that process will be speeded up.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has written to all councils encouraging them to enter discussions early so the government can devolve new powers over transport, skills, housing, planning and employment support.
CEC’s acting executive director of place Peter Skates told a Cheshire East corporate policy committee: “From initial discussions with government, it is clear the government consider Cheshire & Warrington as an early candidate for accelerated and proactive engagement to achieve a proposal, and they would seek to commence detailed discussions with the three councils in the next six to eight weeks – by end of September 2024.”
The report says the council will be engaging on both options of having an elected mayor and not having an elected mayor to establish the principles, and key benefits to Cheshire East, and also Cheshire & Warrington sub region.
It adds: “Being within the first wave of discussions could have multiple benefits, as opposed to being placed at the back of the queue of local authorities, with Cheshire East potentially losing out on investment and funding to support programmes, services, and projects for an extended period of time.”
Cheshire East’s corporate policy committee is expected to approve the setting up of a member reference group to help progress discussions with government officials about a devolution deal when it meets on Wednesday (August 21).
The committee meeting takes place at 5.30pm at the council’s Westfields HQ at Sandbach.
(story by Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter)
It is like letting the lunatics out of the asylum. They fail to Direct, Manage the Council now. For goodness sake lets not make it worse. Cheshire East Council power rests with labour and independent councillors who have almost reduced Cheshire East to bankruptcy.
Lets have an elected Mayor, Andy Street the former Mayor of the West Midlands knows how to manage and achieve results within a prescribed budget. Please save the residents of Cheshire East from all those incompetent individuals. As Alan Bates in the Post Office Enquiry said sell the Post Office to Amazon for a pound. They will bring around the change necessary .
The proposal if it proceeds will only see increases in Council Tax and obvious huge increases in the salaries of the directors, senior executives.