The Cities Devolution Bill: what does it mean for existing local structures?
George Osborne has announced that the government will include a Cities Devolution Bill in the Queens Speech on 27 May.
This will allow English cities to assume more powers from Whitehall over matters concerning housing, transport and planning.
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the House Builders Association (HBA) welcome the chancellor’s acknowledgement that the idea of controlling everything from Westminster can produce an unbalanced economy. The plans under discussion could be instrumental in giving a boost to the economy of northern regions.
Rico Wojtulewicz, the HBA’s policy advisor, commented: “For cities and regions to be successful, it is imperative that housing is supported by quality transport and other infrastructure. What is currently unclear is how the relationship between existing local enterprise partnerships and newly devolved cities will work where they have overlapping responsibilities. We look forward to exploring the Cities Devolution Bill in greater detail.”
