Why are combined authorities being created? Combined authorities are a way of devolving power, funding and decisions currently made in Whitehall to regions so councils can work together as a group or combination to make decisions based on sub-regional, not national, priorities. They help councils work together - they do not replace them. Combined authorities are about better collaboration between local councils on issues that are more effective when delivered together or ones they cannot decide alone, such as transport investment or strategies for skills and economic development. What has Coventry City Council decided about a combined authority? The Council has agreed in principle to create a combined authority with a preferred option of councils from Coventry and Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth with councils from Greater Birmingham and Black Country LEP areas. This is the just the beginning of a formal legal process that’s been set out by Government. This decision means that the Council can work with other councils to improve the economy of Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands by working together on issues such as transport and investment as a combined authority. This decision will also allow the Council to be part of negotiations with central Government to ensure the best deal for Coventry and other areas in a combined authority. At a meeting of Full council on 23 June all councillors agreed that: Following the Queen’s speech and the Government’s statement on Devolution and Combined Authorities, Coventry City Council agree to continue to explore the possibility of working together with our local authority partners to investigate the feasibility of a Combined Authority within the Government’s time scales which ensures Coventry’s future economic security. Why can’t we have a referendum on the issue? The setting up of a combined authority is set down in legislation. There is a formal process to follow and the final decision is taken by the Secretary of State and endorsed by Parliament. 1 This process does not include a referendum but does allow local consultation to take place and includes a formal process of consultation that is undertaken by the Secretary of State before a decision is made. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has made it clear that referendums are not required and not expected as part of this process as the policy was clearly set out in the Conservative manifesto upon which the new Government has been elected. The Government expects the proposal or scheme to form a combined authority for consideration by the Secretary of State should be made by local councils. Following the submission of petitions that asked for a referendum to take place on this issue the Council took a number of futher issues into account before deciding that it would not feasible to add a referendum to the statutory process. Not a clear “yes –no”option: referendums are used where there is a decision to be taken locally or nationally between two or more clear options. The development of a combined authority is more complicated than this, involving a number of councils and a range of factors, a mass of information, and the consideration of the views of a range of partners. A broader form of consultation and engagement allowing people to express their views and discuss a number of issues and explore options would be more effective. Cost. It would cost around £150,000 for a postal referendum and around £500,000 for a referendum run like local and general elections. Timing. It would take weeks to set up a referendum – even if it was just done by post. The Electoral Reform Society would need to be involved (in issues like the exact wording of any question asked) and the timeframe set by government to move forward with combined authorities wouldn’t give us enough time to hold a referendum over the next few weeks. Why is Coventry joining up with Birmingham and other councils? We’re not – and never will be – part of something called Greater Birmingham as has been widely reported. It has already been agreed that a combined authority for the area should be called the West Midlands Combined Authority, to reflect the fact that a number of important towns and cities want to work together as a combined authority. Combined authorities mean devolving powers from Whitehall to councils in the West Midlands, not devolving powers from Coventry to Birmingham. And in fact the Council’s 2 preferred option for a combined authority is much bigger than the Greater Birmingham area and could lead to working across the wider Midlands area. Coventry City Council would lose none of its current powers as a result of being part of a combined authority; the new powers would move from Whitehall to the region. The Council will remain at the heart of civic life in Coventry The new Conservative government – with Greg Clark as secretary of state at the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) – has devolution as a priority. The West Midlands region is now the only major urban area without a combined authority. What does it mean for Coventry? It will mean plans for economic growth, transport, housing and regeneration can be made locally in the West Midlands and not in London. All councils who are part of a combined authority make joint decisions about spending – decisions previously made in London by Whitehall civil servants and government ministers. What are the benefits of being part of a combined authority? Decisions currently made in Whitehall by national politicians and civil servants will be made in the West Midlands rather than in London. All councils have an equal voice and one vote each in deciding what works best across the West Midlands to deliver economic growth. Big projects and initiatives – like NUCKLE south scheme (extending railway line from Coventry station to Stratford) can be delivered more quickly We can develop our own solutions to particular problems – like making sure apprenticeships and training courses meet the manufacturing skills gap we have in Coventry and across the West Midlands Major schemes that need big cash injections to get off the ground – similar to Friargate – can be financed by the combined authority If you’ve already made your decision, why are you consulting us? 3 There’s been a lot of media coverage of this issue, so it’s clear that many people believe that a combined authority could see us merging with other councils, or even becoming part of Birmingham. We want to make sure people have all the facts about the decision in principle that’s been made so they understand why the Council believes this is the best way to ensure Coventry’s economic future. And we want to listen to people’s views about what’s important to them so we can make sure these views influence our priorities. So, we know that travel is a big issue for many people – so we think a priority for a new combined authority could be developing a version of the Oystercard that could make it easy to use buses and trains across the Midlands. Big manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover who are expanding their operations right here in Coventry tell us there’s a real problem with getting local people with the right skills to work for them. Developing an apprenticeship scheme across the area that delivers the skills manufacturers need would have real benefits to us all in Coventry – that’s something a combined authority could do, rather than relying on national government schemes that aren’t tailored for what we need here. Getting residents’ views on issues like these is important, and the government will look at these carefully when they carry out their consultation on a combined authority later in the year Why are we considering this particular area? A combined authority is required to cover an area that makes sense economically – such as an area in which many people commute to work or where there are strong links between local firms, universities and other institutions. Forming a combined authority based on the same geography as the three local enterprise partnerships in the West Midlands has many practical advantages. It means that a West Midlands combined authority would be the largest of its kind in the country - and second only to London - representing the interests of four million people in the region. What powers would councils lose if they became part of a combined authority? None. This is about central government – Whitehall – devolving powers to the region, not individual councils giving up power to the region. 4 Would we lose control over local decisions, like house building or planning approvals? No. Local councils will continue to make the decisions over local issues. Will it mean a single big council that means we will lose our local identity? No, a combined authority is not a replacement for existing councils and councils do not merge to form a single new body when they create a combined authority. Each member council continues to provide local services and to represent the local area in the same way they did before. The leaders of the councils within a combined authority are accountable to their own council and their councillors and through them to their local residents and businesses. Why can't we stay the same – why do we have to make a decision about this now? Birmingham and the Black Country councils have already decided to move forward with proposals for a combined authority. So even if we did nothing we’d have to change many of the ways we work together already on things like transport across the West Midlands – the role and function of Centro, for instance, in the future would have implications on bus and train travel schemes across the region.