Cabinet councillors will discuss work on devolution across Greater Essex and be asked to endorse the submission of an ‘expression of interest’ to Government.
Since last Autumn, Leaders and Councillors from councils across Greater Essex (the Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council areas) have been discussing the opportunities that could be presented by devolution, what a devolution deal might look like here, and how all our communities could benefit.
Devolution is the transfer of money and powers down from central government to local level. It gives powers to local people and local places, ensuring that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.
In Greater Essex this could mean more funding and greater control over fundamental issues such as health, planning, transport, skills, economic growth, and infrastructure. Based on similar deals in other areas, it could also mean as much as £1 billion in new Government money.
The Leaders of Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council - along with the Leaders of our District, Borough and City councils, and the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner - have been debating the shape and content of a draft ‘expression of interest’ document.
Cllr Stephen George, Leader of the Council, says: “The expression of interest is a starting point and an initial approach to the Government which sets out the key principles and areas that we wish to collectively explore. This does not commit Greater Essex or Southend-on-Sea to anything - it simply opens the conversation with the Government so that we can fully understand how local people, businesses and communities could benefit from a devolution deal. It is very important that Southend-on-Sea plays an active role in these discussions.
“It is also important to be clear that this is not about local Government reorganisation, but the transfer of certain powers and money from central Government.”
The document will also be discussed by the Cabinets of Essex County Council and Thurrock Council - as the Councils, along with Southend, leading the discussion in Greater Essex - to seek their endorsement before submitting this ‘Expression of Interest’ document to the Government.
There are three ‘levels’ of devolution deal on offer via the Government’s new Devolution Framework, which sets out which powers and resources on offer for local and combined authorities depending on their governance arrangement.
Level 1 constitutes informal joint working between authorities such as through a joint committee arrangement.
Level 2 constitutes a single lead institution or county council working across a functional economic area - in practice, for Greater Essex, this would mean the creation of a Combined County Authority that would deal with the areas of devolved power.
Level 3 requires a single lead institution or county council working across a functional economic area, such as a Combined County Authority with a directly elected mayor responsible for the areas of devolved power. According to the report, Level 3 deals offer the greatest range of devolved powers and funding on offer through the framework.
The agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 21 February is available to view on our democracy website.