Steve Rotheram announces priorities for the coming year

Ahead of next week’s Combined Authority budget, Steve Rotheram has announced his key priorities for the Liverpool City Region in the coming year. In the budget, the Metro Mayor will set out how we can achieve an ambitious set of priorities to generate jobs, improve skills and deliver investment across the Liverpool City Region.

Steve Rotheram said:

“Devolution gives us a huge opportunity to transform our city region. We are making key decisions locally that will attract global investment and high-quality jobs, modernise our transport system, transform education and skills provision and set out how we develop the city region in future.”

Since his election in May 2017, Steve Rotheram has overseen the delivery of key projects including the launch of a new £500m Strategic Investment Fund, £6m fund to support local high streets, delivering half-price bus travel for apprentices, starting the roll out of a new 600km cycling and walking network, and taking forward plans for Mersey tidal power.

Steve Rotheram continued:

“Through our devolution deal, we have secured hundreds of millions of pounds that we would otherwise not have had. We are now delivering real benefits to the people of the Liverpool City Region. The Combined Authority has already approved £400m in funding for projects which will create 9,000 jobs and 5,500 apprenticeships.”

The budget is also set to outline how much residents will be asked to contribute to enable the Metro Mayor and Combined Authority to deliver these priorities. At present, the Combined Authority cannot use any of the investment secured from government to cover running costs. As such, the budget will propose a small charge be added to council tax bills in the coming year—though for 95% of households it will mean a contribution of just 32 pence per week.

Steve Rotheram added:

“In the face of continuing austerity we cannot expect our six local authorities to carry on funding the Combined Authority. This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s something we have to do in order to continue benefiting from devolution. Devolution is the only way we can secure the funds we need to transform our city region and the only sustainable way we can raise the money we need to deliver devolution is by introducing a small precept for the coming year.”