Latest news with #LancashireCombinedCountyAuthority
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First meeting of county's new combined authority
The newly formed Lancashire Combined County Authority is due to hold its first meeting later. The new body is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council and will see some powers currently held by central government devolved to it. First on the agenda is appointing a chair and vice-chair, while other items include considering the authority budget for 2025-26. The meeting will take places at County Hall in Preston from 16;00 GMT and members of the public will able to attend or watch the meeting online. The board is made up of representatives of the three councils alongside two district council representatives and the chairman of Lancashire's Business Board. The authority said it aims to address key priorities for the county's 1.5m residents such as improving public transport, boosting economic prosperity and enhancing employment and skills as well as tackling "historically low investment". The new authority will have more powers and funding but it has fewer powers and less funding than a mayoral model. Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said it was a "historic moment" for the county. She added: "For our residents it means we can make more decisions about local issues locally and we have already seen some investment in Blackpool as a result of this." Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council leader, said it was "evidence of the ability of the three major councils to work together for the betterment of the whole of Lancashire". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. County's combined authority officially launched Devolved powers deal for Lancashire struck MPs want to abolish all of county's 15 councils Devolution deal signed at castle ceremony Lancashire Combined County Authority Lancashire County Council Blackburn with Darwen Council Blackpool Council
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Lancashire: First meeting of county's new combined authority
The newly formed Lancashire Combined County Authority is due to hold its first meeting new body is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council and will see some powers currently held by central government devolved to on the agenda is appointing a chair and vice-chair, while other items include considering the authority budget for 2025-26. The meeting will take places at County Hall in Preston from 16;00 GMT and members of the public will able to attend or watch the meeting online. The board is made up of representatives of the three councils alongside two district council representatives and the chairman of Lancashire's Business authority said it aims to address key priorities for the county's 1.5m residents such as improving public transport, boosting economic prosperity and enhancing employment and skills as well as tackling "historically low investment".The new authority will have more powers and funding but it has fewer powers and less funding than a mayoral model. Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said it was a "historic moment" for the added: "For our residents it means we can make more decisions about local issues locally and we have already seen some investment in Blackpool as a result of this."Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council leader, said it was "evidence of the ability of the three major councils to work together for the betterment of the whole of Lancashire". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lancashire will get elected mayor, Rayner says
After almost a decade of political wrangling, Angela Rayner appears to have confirmed Lancashire will be getting an elected mayor within the next 18 months. During a question and answer session at the Convention of the North in Preston, the deputy prime minister said she understood "the perception" that places without an Andy Burnham-style figurehead may feel left out. "I've been really straight that we want mayors," she said, "and with the new [devolution] priority programme, by May 2026, the whole of the north will have mayors, which is fantastic." Lancashire local authority leaders had previously been asked to come up with proposals for "deeper and wider devolution" by this autumn. Elected mayor system broken and bad for women - MP Lancashire councils given reorganisation deadline County's combined authority officially launched All of Lancashire's 15 councils have been asked to submit initial plans for how they will reorganise themselves into new authorities. The government wants councils to merge to create single unitary authorities to provide all the services in their area under an elected mayor. Devolution minister, Jim McMahon, told the conference: "It's about giving local leaders the power to get on and do the job and a mayor is really important in that, they do make a difference." The devolution white paper, published two months ago, stated that it was the government's "strong preference" that local areas opted for mayor if they did not already have one – but it also held out the alternative prospect of a non-mayoral "strategic authority", like the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) that came into being last month, to oversee its existing devolution deal. That "level two" agreement gives Lancashire powers including control of the adult education budget and some aspects of local transport, as well as a one-off £20m innovation fund. However, a top-grade "level three" deal would see the creation of a long-term investment cash pot, with an agreed annual allocation, along with a say over local rail and greater control over brownfield regeneration. The leaders of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils, Lynn Williams and Phil Riley, two of the three current devolution deal signatories, have previously expressed hope and confidence that Lancashire would end up part of the government's devolution priority programme of places where mayors would be in place by next May. Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson, the other devolution partner, has previously stressed the lack of local agreement over a mayor, but had not ventured a particular preference on behalf of her own authority. However, district council leaders are openly split over the issue – with the likes of Chorley's Alistair Bradley and Preston's Matthew Brown having come out in favour of a mayor, but others including Wyre leader Michael Vincent and Ribble Valley's Stephen Atkinson staunchly against. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. Devolved powers deal for Lancashire struck New council chief takes top job after unanimous vote MPs want to abolish all of county's 15 councils Lancashire County Council Blackpool Council Blackburn with Darwen Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Lancashire will get elected mayor, deputy prime minister says
After almost a decade of political wrangling, Angela Rayner appears to have confirmed Lancashire will be getting an elected mayor within the next 18 a question and answer session at the Convention of the North in Preston, the deputy prime minister said she understood "the perception" that places without an Andy Burnham-style figurehead may feel left out."I've been really straight that we want mayors," she said, "and with the new [devolution] priority programme, by May 2026, the whole of the north will have mayors, which is fantastic."Lancashire local authority leaders had previously been asked to come up with proposals for "deeper and wider devolution" by this autumn. All of Lancashire's 15 councils have been asked to submit initial plans for how they will reorganise themselves into new government wants councils to merge to create single unitary authorities to provide all the services in their area under an elected minister, Jim McMahon, told the conference: "It's about giving local leaders the power to get on and do the job and a mayor is really important in that, they do make a difference."The devolution white paper, published two months ago, stated that it was the government's "strong preference" that local areas opted for mayor if they did not already have one – but it also held out the alternative prospect of a non-mayoral "strategic authority", like the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) that came into being last month, to oversee its existing devolution "level two" agreement gives Lancashire powers including control of the adult education budget and some aspects of local transport, as well as a one-off £20m innovation fund. However, a top-grade "level three" deal would see the creation of a long-term investment cash pot, with an agreed annual allocation, along with a say over local rail and greater control over brownfield leaders of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils, Lynn Williams and Phil Riley, two of the three current devolution deal signatories, have previously expressed hope and confidence that Lancashire would end up part of the government's devolution priority programme of places where mayors would be in place by next May. Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson, the other devolution partner, has previously stressed the lack of local agreement over a mayor, but had not ventured a particular preference on behalf of her own district council leaders are openly split over the issue – with the likes of Chorley's Alistair Bradley and Preston's Matthew Brown having come out in favour of a mayor, but others including Wyre leader Michael Vincent and Ribble Valley's Stephen Atkinson staunchly against. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
