The plan brings together nineteen councils and numerous business leaders, with a view to creating a single combined authority by March 2016, though powers would not be devolved until 2017 at the earliest. It would become the first such combined authority to include district, borough, city and county councils. It would also involve the appointment of a directly elected mayor. The proposal now sits with the Government for approval, though it first requires Royal Assent of The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill to enact many of the powers that will need to be exercised.
Included in the proposal is a strategy to speed up the planning process and make it more flexible for responding to local needs. In particular, the delivery of 77,000 new homes on surplus and brownfield land would be promoted through a £200 million investment fund, and a mechanism for joint planning between the combined authority and the Government.
The proposals also include more detailed plans under a single local transport budget of £137 million a year, including an 'Oyster' style ticketing system to improve connectivity within the combined authority, and building on HS2 investment to deliver regeneration in surrounding areas.
Although the new legislation is intended to allow combined authorities greater potential to unlock economic growth, including through a more joined up local planning approach, critics argue that this sounds all too familiar.
With the revocation of regional spatial strategies in 2010, an apparent return to regional planning is somewhat surprising. However, the limitations of the combined authorities should be noted. The existing model for combined authorities gives them power to spend budgets which are fundamentally derived from central government, rather than any express power to generate revenues from local taxation or borrowing. This of course gives rise to the risk that they will simply become an additional source of red tape, something which planning in particular has been criticised for.
Whether or not the emergence of combined authorities heralds a rationalisation of local government remains to be seen. Such a shift might well simplify the planning process, but would be in stark contrast to the dwindling concept of localism. If local level planning became marginalised, there is a risk that crucial local knowledge could be lost, and a potential void could open up between emerging neighbourhood level plans and the renewed regional focus.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this note, please contact our planning team.