WNC Stakes Its Claim: The Pursuit of South Midlands Devolution Begins!

10 January 2025

The West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has resolved to advance plans to collaborate with other authorities in the South Midlands in an attempt to join the Government’s ‘priority programme’ for devolution.

During a meeting yesterday evening (Thursday 9 January), the councillors agreed that the Council should file an expression of interest to ministers today for establishing a new strategic mayoral authority encompassing West Northamptonshire, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, and North Northamptonshire.

This plan, which includes the six authority regions, fulfills all the criteria established by the Government in the Devolution White Paper released last month. These criteria include population size and a cohesive economic footprint. Furthermore, the proposal builds upon the successful collaboration the councils have maintained as SEMLEP, which led to the formation of the new South Midlands Authorities (SMA) group tasked with fostering economic development across the region and managing the new DWP Supported Employment programme for the South Midlands. WNC is eager to capitalize on the chance to tap into the hundreds of millions of pounds of additional investment that are now promised to devolved regions.

Devolution describes the transfer of powers from national to local government, and in jurisdictions with an elected regional mayor, this also entails the transfer of significant funding to stimulate new infrastructure, job creation, and growth.

Today, WNC will submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) advocating for the establishment of a new South Midlands Strategic Authority and has extended an invitation to the other five councils to join them, following recent dialogues and the Government’s interest in incorporating South Midlands into the Devolution Priority Programme. Any Council can submit an EOI and a proposal for a strategic mayoral authority area, although regions that demonstrate a united and strong approach to devolution are anticipated to be prioritized by the Government.

In September, the six authorities presented an initial Expression of Interest to the Government for a combined authority, although at that point it did not imply that a mayor would be introduced. However, the Devolution white paper clarified that all regions are expected to be governed by a mayor and to be integrated into the Devolution Priority Programme; thus, we are now required to confirm our acceptance of this along with our interest in the fast track process.

WNC currently operates as a unitary authority established in 2021, replacing and streamlining the two-tier system of county, district, and borough councils to provide all their services to residents in the West Northants area. At present, WNC is not part of a combined authority or strategic mayoral authority, which are typically formed by two or more adjacent councils and generally encompass around 1.5 million residents. The population of Northamptonshire, approximately 870,000, exceeds half the number of residents required for a new combined authority per the Government’s standards.

“It is evident that a strategic mayoral authority encompassing the six South Midlands councils is not only the sole option that satisfies all of the Government’s criteria but also serves the best interests of all residents throughout our region.

“The six South Midlands authorities already possess a strong record of collaboration to promote economic development, and enhancing this will undoubtedly yield additional benefits for all our communities through a devolution agreement that could draw in millions of pounds of extra investment.

“This presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance that we are prepared to capitalize on, irrespective of political affiliations, for our residents. Considering the clear guidance recently provided by Government representatives regarding its coherence and appropriateness, we remain devoted to pursuing this option.

“We hope our partner councils will collaborate with us to ensure that we do not disregard this opportunity for all our communities.”

Leader of West Northamptonshire Council Cllr Adam Brown

A strategic mayoral authority is managed by a regionally-elected mayor, distinct from civic and ceremonial mayors at town councils, and possesses enhanced powers and funding devolved from national government to make collective decisions on matters such as economic development, transport, housing, skills, and employment.

A new strategic mayoral authority that includes the West Northamptonshire region would not replace the current unitary council but would empower it with a stronger voice and a more prominent role in regional investment and decision-making.