Elected mayor ‘would be a leap of faith’, council leader tells LBV

The leader of Wyre Council has underlined his opposition to an elected mayor for Lancashire saying the county doesn’t need and can’t afford another tier of local government.

But Peter Gibson has revealed to Lancashire Business View why he is opposed to any such move.

“That doesn’t need a layer of bureaucracy that will come at a financial cost to taxpayers placed on it to happen.

He added: “We’ve been told that this is the way ahead to gain benefits in areas like transport and economic growth.

Councillor Gibson added: “Advocates of the Combined Authority claim there will be £900m of funding from the government over the next 30 years and some see that as their salvation from their financial difficulties.

“I’ve been told it is a leap of faith but we don’t do those in Wyre. We assess, we look at evidence; we look at the business case then make our decisions.”

“We will become a fully-fledged combined authority on April 1. And whilst each council will maintain its independence, that will mean we can push for a meaningful devolution deal with central government.

“Whether or not having an elected mayor for Lancashire will be beneficial is less clear, but it seems to be central government’s price for devolution. “It may be that the prize on offer makes an elected mayor a price worth paying. But, if that is the case, I can say for certain that it will not be me!”