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What is
Devolution?
Making the big decisions for the Liverpool City Region
We understand what our local communities and businesses need much better than the politicians and officials in Westminster and Whitehall. That means that we can make much better decisions about the things that really matter locally, and that will make a positive difference to everyone in the Liverpool City Region.
Big issues like creating good jobs and improving our public transport system affect us all, whether we live, work, study or have a business in any part of the Liverpool City Region.
And investing to grow our economy to provide secure, well-paid jobs and investing in the skills we need for our economy now and in the future benefits us all.
We know what we need to do locally, and with the powers and funding we get by having devolution – and our Liverpool City Region Mayor and Combined Authority – we are getting on and doing it.
But what actually is devolution?
Devolution means that decision-making powers and funding are transferred from the national government to us here in the Liverpool City Region. This is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.
Ultimately, it provides more funding, greater freedoms and flexibility at a local level, meaning our six local councils and other partners can work together – through the Combined Authority – on the things that will really make a difference to all the people who live and work in our area.
The Liverpool City Region’s first Devolution Agreement in November 2015 saw us secure an extra £900 million of funding over 30 years. It identified a number of priority areas where resources and decision making would be controlled locally, including employment and skills, housing and planning, transport, innovation, business growth and support, energy, culture and finance.
And because of devolution, we have secured hundreds of millions of pounds in extra investment, that would otherwise not have come to the city region. Devolution is bringing real benefits to the people of the city region, and we are working to secure greater powers and funding so that we can do even more to benefit local residents.
