West Yorkshire approves devolution deal

All five West Yorkshire councils and the Combined Authority have given their approval to bring decision-making powers to the region agreed in the landmark West Yorkshire devolution deal.

The councils of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield, and the Combined Authority, have now given their consent to submit a summary of consultation responses to the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government, Robert Jenrick.

The majority of respondents to a survey from 4,400 West Yorkshire residents supported the proposals to establish a directly elected Mayor for the region with responsibility for key areas, such as transport improvements, adult education and skills, housing and regeneration and economic recovery from coronavirus.

The devolution deal, which West Yorkshire’s five council leaders agreed with the government in March 2020, will bring at least an additional £1.8 billion public investment to the region over the next 30 years, plus greater freedoms to take decisions locally on the issues that affect communities. Extra investment is already coming to the region ahead of the deal becoming law and the region has joined the M9 group of mayoral combined authorities, giving it stronger national influence alongside the other elected mayors in England.  

In a joint statement, West Yorkshire’s five council leaders said: “Our West Yorkshire councils have now consulted on the mayoral devolution deal, and submitted the findings to government. We are pleased that it has the backing  from our respective councils and the large majority of those who responded to our public consultation. It is now over to the government to prepare the draft legislation.

“Our local areas are already seeing the benefits of the deal through the early funding we’ve secured to develop brownfield sites for housing, deliver much-needed transport improvements and support people to develop the skills to find good work in a challenging job market. Covid-19 has highlighted just how crucial it is that decisions which affect local communities are taken by people who know and understand those communities, supported by the investment to deliver on local priorities. This deal is the critical starting point to ensuring West Yorkshire is able to make the strongest possible recovery from this crisis and prosper in future.”