Latest news with #NickMannion
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Cheshire and Warrington: Early 2026 for new combined authority
A combined authority for Cheshire and Warrington is set to be created early next year, ahead of the area's first mayoral elections in the from Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Warrington councils were told the new authority will be created in the first two months of were also told more detail would be revealed next month about what powers will be devolved in a report setting out guidance received from the new combined authority is set to be in place for its first mayoral election on 7 May 2026. The update was given at a meeting of a joint committee of councillors and public servants from each of the three local authorities in the county of the new authority, each council would remain separate local authorities but would work together on areas including transport, skills, housing, the environment and creation was given the green light after the county was included in the government's devolution priority programme (DPP) in February. 'Significant' Funding to set up devolution in the area would mostly come from a government grant of £1m, the meeting committee is also waiting for a government response to a formal consultation on the creation of the new authority, which closed last East Council leader Nick Mannion said the government was expected to make a further announcement next month "as to whether Cheshire and Warrington have met the government's statutory tests to move forward for devolution"."This will be a trigger for a significant amount of detail to flow to us from the government in Whitehall," he told the committee.A total of £1m in funding would be provided through a mayoral capacity grant, which would be confirmed after government approval is granted.A further £250,000 has been made available from Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington, made up of business rates retained by the economic development organisation, and the Local Government Association has also provided a £25,000 grant to support devolution cost of running a mayoral election would be reimbursed by the future combined authority, it has been Price, the police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, told the meeting he welcomed the government funding."I know a lot of members of the public out there are nervous about council finances and what the cost is, but the department has funded this, alongside that grant from the Local Government Association."Ultimately, that's a form of endorsement that we're doing something the government is keen for us to pursue and they're putting their hand in their pocket to help make it happen." Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cheshire devolution: Ex-deputy leader criticises plans
An elected mayor for Cheshire is "neither welcome nor necessary", according to a former deputy leader of one of the area's councillor Craig Browne said he felt there should be more responsibilities and funding for town and parish councils East's Conservative group has also raised concerns on the proposals and said although it supported devolution as a principle there had not been enough information from the East Council has said it supports devolution for the county, and leader Nick Mannion said he believed it would "release the full potential" of the area. The comments from Browne and the Conservative group were part of their responses to a government consultation on devolution for the area, which recently who stepped down as deputy leader last year, said he felt that a mayor was "merely another layer of democracy".Meanwhile, the Conservative group said it also believed that Warrington should not be included in a devolution deal for the county."It is different in socio-demographic makeup, geography, and its economy to either Cheshire East or Cheshire West and Chester," the group also criticised the proposed name of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and said it was "unnecessarily long".The Conservative group reiterated its previous calls for the election for a mayor to be delayed until 2027, highlighting that both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils would be holding full elections that year. In its response to the consultation, Cheshire East Council said devolution would offer "a powerful voice for growth" for the Mannion, the Labour leader of the authority, said it was time for the county to join other areas in the region that were "reaping the benefits"."We believe that devolution will help us to release the full potential of our borough with the wider Cheshire and Warrington area and will support us to have greater influence nationally," he leader, Independent Michael Gorman, added: "Getting this funding and additional powers to make decisions locally through devolution, across all these areas, means we will be able to get the best for our residents and businesses." Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Devolution: Town name to remain in devolved Cheshire authority
Cheshire and Warrington is set to be the official name of a new combined authority for the area, after councillors rejected calls for it to be known only under the county had been calls for the administrative area to be known simply as Cheshire but leaders of all three councils in the county voted to retain the name it has been working to at a meeting at Warrington Town Council leader Hans Mundry said it was "important for Warrington to be recognised" and noted the current name had been in use since the process started almost a decade three authorities have asked to be part of the devolution priority programme, with the government expected to make a decision on the county's future shortly. Nick Mannion, leader of Cheshire East Council, said the planned name had never been raised as an issue with him."As we came into this lovely Georgian building, we noticed for many years Warrington was a county borough therefore effectively a unitary authority in its own right and then under local government reorganisation in 1974 it became part of Cheshire," he Shore, deputy leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, highlighted the precedent of her authority including the city name in it."If we use the name Cheshire it might cause some confusion around Halton and I want to be inclusive and I'd support keeping Cheshire and Warrington," she is in Cheshire but chose to join the Liverpool City Region in 2015. Cheshire West and Chester leader Louise Gittins, chairman of the committee, also responded to questions from a union on the size of the proposed combined authority and any impact on the police and fire services in the government's devolution white paper had expected strategic authorities to have a population of about 1.5 million or more, and local authorities to each have a population of 500, three authorities have a population below 500,000 and their combined population is about 990, Gittins said the size would not affect the area."Our devolution deal, because of the importance of what we have to offer, we have flexibility," she added that the councils had "no ambitions to change any boundaries" such as health, fire or police. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
