Oxfordshire leaders request devolution after vetoing £97 billion regional plan
Concerns over lack of powers and coordination lead to veto of strategic authority proposal
Oxfordshire leaders have written to former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham asking for “an ambitious devolution settlement” after vetoing a £97 billion region plan last month.
In a joint letter addressed to “Andy”, Oxfordshire County Council’s leader and its cabinet member for HR and reorganisation ask the likely next Prime Minister, who is the only current candidate in a Labour leadership contest, to give the Thames Valley a mayor.
This comes as an Oxford City Council report states the veto decision “considerably reduces the likelihood of establishing a Thames Valley Mayor in the near term”.
Proposals for a devolved ‘foundation strategic authority (FSA)’, which, under government guidelines, paves the way for a mayoralty, were thrown out by Lib Dem council leaders – Oxfordshire’s Tim Bearder and Windsor and Maidenhead’s Simon Werner – after 18 months of negotiation involving 13 councils.
The move has been criticised by the region’s Labour and Conservative council leaders, and Lib Dem district council bosses in Cherwell and West Oxfordshire say they are still in favour of an FSA.
The devolved power would have covered Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon, in a move with potential to create £97 billion in gross value added, according to a Government minister.
Mr Bearder explained the rejection was due to concerns about a lack of “powers, funding and coherent geography needed to make a meaningful difference”.
The jurisdiction given to an authority of this kind includes powers over transport, infrastructure and housing coordination, as well as increased access to funding – all previously held by central government.
Mr Bearder is against the inclusion of Swindon, which is not covered by the same police force or healthcare coordination board as Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
In a council meeting, he said he wants to see Buckinghamshire brought in instead, the county had pulled out of plans in February this year.
In his letter to the new Makerfield MP, Mr Bearder does not mention Bucks, but looks north, saying the area he is “particularly excited” for Oxfordshire to work with is the Liverpool City Region.
The letter follows a heated debate on the topic at the county council on June 30, where a policy specialist from Business West had appealed for the proposal, saying the “regional business community are concerned” and fears an “opportunity cost for delays”.
Opposition councillor Kieron Mallon (Conservative) said the situation was “like putting the ball on the penalty spot and missing by a mile”.
The city council cabinet is set to reaffirm its support for devolution, including Swindon, at its meeting next week – it had previously spent over £20,000 working on the vetoed proposal.
Its leader, Susan Brown (Labour), suggested the county council’s withdrawal was on a “whim”.
While the city council report says the veto decision “introduces delay, uncertainty, and strategic risk”, it “does not prevent future progress”.