Plans to bring £900m of funding to our region are moving forward as 3 councils prepare to formally consider plans for a Solent Combined Authority.
The Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, together with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), are looking to press ahead with plans to create a combined authority to secure new powers and funding from government.
The proposed combined authority would be a vehicle for the 3 councils and the LEP to work together on a shared programme focusing on the region’s economic growth and public service reform.
It would manage the new powers and funding but would not take the place of any existing council.
The trio of councils will be assessing a governance review outlining why the combined authority would be the best solution for the region. The review will go before Portsmouth’s Cabinet on 8th July, it will be considered by Isle of Wight’s Executive on 14th July and Southampton’s Full Council will receive it on 20th July.
Originally it had been hoped neighbouring district and borough councils would be part of the new arrangements but that has been prevented by Hampshire County Council’s refusal to be involved. However government officials have indicated they are still keen to work with the area’s three unitary councils, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, to progress plans.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said:
“This is the necessary step in pursuing any potential devolution deal that might involve the Isle of Wight. The Island has recently been told by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Greg Clark MP, that no extra money will be found for the Isle of Wight to meet its current financial difficulties prior to the government’s Fair Funding Review in 2019/20. It is, therefore, important that we remain at the table and pursue steps that may enable us to obtain a share in the pot of £900 million that has currently been set aside for a local devolution deal.”
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It is expected that government would give a Solent Combined Authority control of approximately £30m of additional funding per year for the next 30 years to improve the infrastructure in South Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This will allow decisions to be made locally rather than in Westminster. The deal would also enable all of the business rates generated in the area to be retained locally, meaning the area it would have better control of its financial future.
A combined authority would have responsibility for working with partners to increase business productivity, creating better jobs and more jobs, and aligning adult education and training to local business needs. Bringing these responsibilities together in the Solent area will create more certainty for businesses investment, simplify and strengthen support for business growth and innovation as well as focusing training in the skills local businesses need. As a result, more people would get jobs, businesses would prosper, and the whole of South Hampshire & the Isle of Wight would become better off.
It would control a dedicated transport budget, franchised bus services and the network of strategic local authority-maintained roads.
Gary Jeffries, Solent LEP Chairman, has today said:
“An additional £30m per year investment in the infrastructure of our area has the potential to make a major contribution to business growth and productivity. However, there is also an opportunity for the emerging Solent Combined Authority to align with the work of the LEP to have an even greater impact on the future our economy.”
It is also anticipated that once the combined authority is in place it would be able to demonstrate its successes and negotiate with government to agree further powers and opportunities to be devolved, potentially in areas such as health and criminal justice, as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has done.
