West Midlands and Liverpool Regions
The Government has agreed to hand over £1.2bn in spending power to the West Midlands over the next 30 years. The region will receive about £36m a year over the period and gain powers over policing, skills, business support and transport including bus regulation. This includes the City of Wolverhampton.
The deal is set to be signed by George Osborne and council leaders today. Councillor Bob Sleigh, chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s shadow board, said: “This is an historic moment for the West Midlands. We have moved incredibly quickly to create the partnership between the seven metropolitan councils and our three LEPs and we are delighted the government has recognised this and has rewarded our ambition with the biggest investment package in the country.”
A deal has also been struck with the Liverpool city region. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority chair, Phil Davies, said: “I believe this is the best deal we can secure at this time.”
