Councils agree to devolution talks

By Lancashire Business View

01 Jun 2018

geoff-driver-1000x500.jpg
Devolution for Lancashire took a step closer to reality after 14 of its 15 councils agreed to form a partnership that will negotiate terms with the government.

If successful, the move would devolve power and money from Whitehall, giving Lancashire greater control of its own affairs and the opportunity to move out from the shadows of Liverpool and Manchester.

Talks of a Combined Authority date back a number of years, but as recently as last November councils were unable to agree to work together.

However, councillor Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council and chair of the Lancashire Leaders group, said the most recent meetings have proved positive.

"All the leaders know it is in the best interests of the county to work better together but the important thing is that we get the mechanism for how we do that right," he said.

“We’ve been having positive discussions since the early part of this year and we’ve now formed a new collaboration that will see us work together on topics such as transport, jobs and housing, which affect the whole county, and this group will drive forward negotiations with government to see if they will devolve meaningful power and investment to us to make sure this great county plays an important role in the Northern Powerhouse.

“For too long we’ve seen money pouring into Manchester and Merseyside and now it is time to ensure we can work together to create more opportunities and jobs for our residents.”

Each of the council leaders, with the exception of Fylde Borough Council, agreed on a set of principles that will lead to a Lancashire Strategy, terms for a devolution deal and a new set of governance arrangements.

Driver added: “We had the leaders from all councils, except Fylde, at the meeting and while it’d be great to have everyone around the table they are keeping a close eye on what’s happening and as we drive this forward I hope they will join our group and take an active part in shaping the future of Lancashire."

Driver said the government had been made aware of the county's progress and that the councils were awaiting instructions for the next step. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of here in Lancashire as we have one of the largest economies in the North of England home to over 40,000 businesses employing in excess of 670,000 people and we want to see that continue to grow," he added.

Latest news

1

High street retailers urged to ‘take advantage’ of new funded support programme Brian Moore, Lee Johnson, Anne Williamson and Andrew Leeming

High street retailers urged to ‘take advantage’ of new funded support programme

08 Sep 2025

2

Beaverbrooks invest in the high street in difficult conditions Mark Adlestone And Anna Blackburn Beaverbrooks

Beaverbrooks invest in the high street in difficult conditions

08 Sep 2025

3

Preston City Council invests £250,000 in NW Mutual NW Mutual chief exec Dave Burke and Valerie Wise and Matthew Brown from Preston City Council

Preston City Council invests £250,000 in NW Mutual

08 Sep 2025

4

Profit before tax doubles for Eric Wright Group in latest results Jeremy Hartley

Profit before tax doubles for Eric Wright Group in latest results

08 Sep 2025

5

Bodycare set to shut 32 of its stores Nick Holloway of administrators Interpath

Bodycare set to shut 32 of its stores

05 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs
Sub36 Deaf Village Social1200
Networking
17 Sep 2025

Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs

The Deaf Village, Blackburn, BB2 5EN

10:00 - 12:00

LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Longridge Soap Box Derby
Screenshot 2025-06-10 090035.png.png
LBV Hub Fundraisers
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025

Longridge Soap Box Derby

Berry Lane, Longridge, PR3 3WH

10:00 - 16:30

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!
Preston Tech Connection Sept 25.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Sep 2025 - 16 Sep 2025

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV 123 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin