Landmark moment in possible devolution deal for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire

Stoke-on-Trent is joining a partnership between councils in Staffordshire - potentially paving the way for a devolution deal with government. Staffordshire Leaders' Board, which allows for closer working on issues such as the economy and public health, has previously only included the leaders of Staffordshire County Council and the eight district and borough councils.

But now Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to become a formal participant in the joint committee for the first time since it was formed in 2022. According to a council report, this will help in 'maximising collaboration' across Staffordshire, and support plans for a 'potential devolution deal or deals'.

The other Staffordshire councils have previously been working towards a county devolution deal in recent years, although little progress has been made. Cabinet members at the city council will be asked to approve Stoke-on-Trent's participation in the leaders' board when they meet on Tuesday.

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Jane Ashworth, leader of the Labour-run city council, attended her first board meeting in March - her Conservative predecessor Abi Brown did not attend the meetings while she was leader. But Ms Ashworth downplayed the implications for devolution, describing Stoke-on-Trent's involvement in the leaders' board as simply an 'administrative function' to support cross-border working.

She said: "In order to sort out things like skills and transport, we need to be working closely with our neighbours across the borders. Anyone can see that. There's no suggestion about anything greater than that - it's just common sense.

"It was a surprise to me when I first became leader that these kinds of arrangements weren't being discussed. There's no drama in this - it's just simple good sense.

"It makes sense to talk about developing skills and developing transport over the whole of the North Staffs area - and if some money comes to help that, then all the better. It's an administrative arrangement."

In recent years the government has been offering local areas in England deals for devolving funding and powers, with different tiers of devolution available. Level three deals, which provide the most devolved funding, require the establishment of directly elected 'metro' mayors - something that has never been proposed for Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent.

Most of the areas surrounding Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are either working towards devolution or have already agreed a deal:

West Midlands - West Midlands Combined Authority, formed in 2016, has been one of the 'trailblazers' of devolution in England. WMCA is made up of seven constituent authorities, with Cannock Chase and Tamworth among its 'non-constituent' members.

East Midlands - Voters across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire elected the first East Midlands Mayor last month, with the new combined authority set to receive £38 million of government funding each year.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland - These authorities are not part of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and have instead agreed to a smaller-scale 'level two' devolution deal.

Cheshire - Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington have been working towards a county deal for Cheshire for several years. The borough of Halton in Cheshire is already a part of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin - Both councils are non-constituent members of West Midlands Combined Authority, and talks have been held about them potentially upgrading to full membership. Labour-led Telford and Wrekin Council is opposed to a county-wide devolution deal.

The report to the cabinet meeting states: "The Staffordshire Leaders’ Board is an existing joint committee previously established by Staffordshire County Council with the borough and district councils within the county region to provide a formal vehicle to enter into discussions with government on devolution proposals.

"The leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been working closely with the joint committee representatives and it has been agreed collectively that the joint committee would be further strengthened by the city council's formal involvement. It is recognised that this would assist in maximising collaboration on shared challenges and opportunities and support plans for a potential devolution deal or deals for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent."

The report says that if the city council does not join the leaders' board, this could 'hinder' progress on devolution and result in 'missing vital opportunities for collaboration'.

The leaders' board will now have 10 members - the leaders of the city and county councils, and the eight district and borough councils. The board's decisions will be taken on a non-proportional 'one member, one vote' basis - meaning Stoke-on-Trent will only have 10 per cent of the voting power, despite the city having around 22 per cent of the population.