Devo Asks

Devolution Asks latest

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is in ongoing negotiations with both government and its local and regional partners on the contents of its second-stage devolution deal and also the area the deal and a potential elected mayor might cover.

Below is the latest set of 'Asks' that has been put to the government but these could change as part of further discussion before a final deal is agreed.

Fiscal

  1. Control of a 10-year infrastructure precept, which is exempt from the Council Tax capping regime to deliver major new investments such as a world-class Metro style public transport network that is HS2 and HS3 ready.
  2. Power to levy and retain a Supplementary Business Rate to invest in major strategic infrastructure in a similar way to the London Crossrail scheme.
  3. Retention of 100% of the local growth in business rates.

Transport

  1. Responsibility for a devolved and consolidated transport budget, with a multi-year settlement to be agreed at Spending Reviews.
  2. Responsibility for franchised bus services (subject to the Buses Bill) to secure access to 'fare box' revenues, and for integrating simple smart ticketing across all local modes of transport.
  3. Devolved ownership of local rail stations, with associated maintenance budgets.
  4. Devolved powers, responsibility and maintenance budgets for a locally defined strategic highways network (including the M621 and M606), including new traffic management powers such as moving traffic enforcement.
  5. A Memorandum of Understanding with Highways England with regards to traffic management and emergency management on the M62.

Housing, Regeneration & Planning

  1. Control of a new �500 million Housing and Regeneration Investment Fund, including a fiscally neutral transferred �350m revolving loan facility.
  2. Enterprise Zone / Tax Increment Financing status for major developments at growth areas around principal transport hubs, including Leeds South Bank, York Central, Bradford City Centre, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax , as well as any new wider area-based Enterprise Zones that may be established in areas such as in the Colne Valley, Dewsbury and Harrogate.
  3. To be the Governments delivery agency (potentially via a Land Commission arrangement similar to London) to ensure assets are used and disposed of in a way that supports growth and regeneration, to include local assets, such as those belonging to HCA, Network Rail, Highways England, NHS, MoD; and other Public Assets not currently controlled by the HCA.
  4. Powers to incentivise developers to bring forward strategic sites and prevent land banking; and to bring empty listed buildings back into use.
  5. Responsibility for a strategic infrastructure investment plan to direct infrastructure investment priorities which will provide long-term confidence to those wishing to invest in the City Region.
  6. Responsibility for budgets, including DCMS/BDUK, to deliver ultrafast broadband connectivity and further develop the market beyond that provided by BT.
  7. Responsibility for local energy generation and efficiency.
  8. Responsibility for flood defence capital investment through devolved DEFRA and Environment Agency powers and budgets.

Growth/Investment

  1. Responsibility for managing European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in the same way as London.
  2. Responsibility for devolved and integrated business support budgets, building on the LEP's growth hub, including the resources for Growth Accelerator, Manufacturing Advice Service (MAS), Innovate UK and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Export Advice. Joint responsibility for HEFCE investment in local economic partnership activity in Higher Education (HE) including HE Catalyst, knowledge exchange (HEIF). This will build on the Memorandum of Understanding already in place with the City Region Universities.
  3. Allocation of a share of national investment for global R&D facilities on a par with the Crick Institute, to accelerate our Northern Powerhouse research and SME commercial strengths in digital health innovation and innovative manufacturing; work with the City Region to relocate a Research Council to our area.
  4. Secure ring-fenced UKTI resource on inward investment and sector specialists, and deliver culture, arts and tourism through oversight of devolved funding held by Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund.

Education, Skills & Employment

  1. Responsibility for regional education advisory services, innovation funds for kinship care, family group conferencing and multi-agency interventions to put children and young people at the heart of the economic growth strategy.
  2. Powers to drive the improvement of careers advice and schools and for local authorities to intervene in failing academy schools deemed by Ofsted to be failing.
  3. Control of Further Education (FE) capital and revenue budgets (including 16-18 provision) and powers to reshape and re-structure local appropriate skills provision that is responsive to the needs of employers, including giving priority for a new National College facility and the approval and development of new vocational education facilities.
  4. Devolved budgets for employer-led skills investment, to allow our joined up skills brokerage service to help more employers offer Apprenticeships.
  5. Devolve DWP national programmes and budgets targeted at addressing worklessness (currently the Work Programme).

Public Service Reform

  1. To adopt the powers of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and explore potential oversight of other blue light and Criminal Justice services including Courts and Probation to support interoperability and protect the front line.
  2. Control of a programme that extends the successful Troubled Families model of joined-up public services to other high-cost groups like people with complex needs such as drug dependency, worklessness and mental health.

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