Councils to give final decision on Lancashire Combined Authority

Councillors across Lancashire will decide whether to press ahead with plans for a Combined Authority after a public consultation gave overwhelming support to the proposal.

Each of the 14 councils taking part in the process will take a report to members in the coming weeks to seek approval to submit a bid to Central Government.

Coun Alistair Bradley, chair of the leaders’ group on Combined Authority matters, said: “It’s really important people have taken time to give their views on the Combined Authority because it is a great opportunity for us to become a much bigger part of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation.

“The next step is for each council to re-consider the proposal and this time they will be deciding whether they want to submit a formal bid to the Government for Lancashire to create a Combined Authority.”

It would see Lancashire join many other county and city areas, which have already had approval for similar bids, in a bid to drive economic prosperity and create new jobs for residents.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to show Lancashire means business and make sure the county is a driving force in the Northern Powerhouse.” “We’ll keep people updated on progress over the coming weeks.”