Council narrowly backs county's devolution plans

Council leader Nick Mannion and deputy leader Michael Gorman say devolution will unlock "real opportunities" for the area

Plans to establish a mayoral combined authority for Cheshire and Warrington have been narrowly backed by councillors at a local authority.

At its full council meeting on Wednesday, representatives at Cheshire East Council voted in favour of devolution proposals - with 36 for and 32 against.

Bosses said the move had the potential to unlock new powers and funding for issues such as transport, housing, skills and economic growth.

The proposed combined authority would represent more than a million residents, with the first mayoral elections in Cheshire and Warrington expected to take place in May 2027.

Once final sign-off was given, the government was expected to issue orders to set up the combined authority, which was likely to come into force in early 2026.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's full council signed off the plans on 9 September at a meeting which saw a mass walkout by opposition councillors, followed by approval by its cabinet on 10 September.

Warrington Borough Council put the vote to its full council earlier this week and they are due to get sign-off from the authority's cabinet on Monday – at which point the plans would formally have the go-ahead.

'Real opportunites'

Cheshire East Council leader Nick Mannion and deputy leader Michael Gorman said in a joint statement that devolution was about "unlocking real opportunities" for the area.

"Taking control of key decisions locally means we can respond more effectively to the challenges our residents face and take the opportunities that devolution will bring to the area," they said.

"With confirmation of over £650m of government funding that will come to Cheshire and Warrington to be spent on local priorities, including improving transport links, boosting local services, and supporting business growth over the next 30 years, the potential benefits are enormous," they added.

The three local authorities would still continue delivering local services, such as bin collections and road maintenance, once the new combined authority was established.