Devolution deals now cover 60 percent of the English
population – up from 41 percent since major levelling up plan two
years ago.
Deals providing powers to local leaders now cover nearly 34
million people in England – including nine of England’s 10
largest cities and 90 percent of the North.
Devolution milestone comes after Levelling Up Minister signed another deal with Devon
County Council and Torbay Council – the 10th new deal
since government’s levelling up plan was published.
Sixty per cent of the English population will now live in a
place covered by a devolution deal, thanks to another historic
deal just signed with Devon County Council and Torbay Council.
This is up from 41 percent when the government published its
major levelling up plan almost two years ago, meeting a key
commitment to devolve powers to more areas across England.
This means an extra 10 million people will now benefit from new
powers handed from Westminster to their local leaders – covering
a total of almost 34 million people across England.
In another boost for levelling up, devolution deals now cover 90
per cent of the North – up from 62 percent two years ago and
benefitting over 14 million people.
And in the Midlands, the percentage of people covered by a
devolution deal has more than doubled in two years – up from 26
per cent to 55 per cent, covering almost 6
million people.
The government has also secured devolution deals for nine of
England’s 10 largest cities, including Manchester,
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and
Sheffield.
These deals are giving local leaders strengthened powers to make
local decisions on important matters like transport, adult
education and business support.
They are also providing areas with over £5 billion of new,
long-term funding from the government – the total amount
committed to 10 devolution deals so far.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael
Gove said:
“This historic devolution milestone shows our commitment to
spreading opportunity more equally across the country –
empowering local leaders to take control on matters
that mean most to their communities and improving local
people’s lives.
“And to support their plans we’re providing billions of pounds in
new funding for the long term, helping people to feel the
benefits of these changes for years to come.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities aims to
secure devolution deals by 2030 for every part of England that
wants one. This is one of 12 levelling up goals set by the
department in its flagship Levelling Up White Paper in February
2022.
These goals, called Levelling Up Missions, set out clearly what
the government aims to do to reduce geographical disparity across
all parts of the UK.
To mark progress on devolution in England, the government
measures the proportion of the English population living in an
area with a devolution deal.
The signing between Devon County Council and Torbay Council
yesterday (25 January) will see the creation of a new Combined
County Authority and £16 million awarded from central government
to invest in local priorities as part of the deal. This follows
devolution deals already secured with the East Midlands, North
East, York and North Yorkshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cornwall,
Lancashire, Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East
Yorkshire.
Seven of these devolution deals will see the election of new
mayors in county areas in 2024 and 2025.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- As with other Combined Authority
and Combined County Authority deals, the Devon County Council and
Torbay Council devolution deal is subject to local consultation,
ratification by the constituent councils and parliamentary
approval of the secondary legislation implementing the provisions
of the deal. Today’s signing encapsulates the majority of the
ceremonial county of Devon.
- To mark progress on devolution in
England, the government measures the proportion of the
English population living in an area with a devolution
deal.
