Combined authority consultation opens
Formal consultation has started into the proposal by the six local authorities of Merseyside to create a statutory combined authority similar to Greater Manchester's.
A proposal was submitted by the council leaders for Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral on 30 September 2013 recommending the creation of a Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region. This followed consultation with businesses and residents across the City Region which identified there was strong support locally to create a Combined Authority.
The Government is now inviting feedback through a further statutory consultation, which started on Thursday 28 November.
The Liverpool City Region local authorities, working with the Local Enterprise Partnership and Merseytravel, have carried out a review of strategic governance arrangements. The review concluded a Combined Authority was the preferred option.
The combined authority route would allow councils to make joint decisions and share funding on transport, housing, economic development and skills.
Click here to read more about the Government's consultation and to submit comments
The consultation closes on 22 January 2014.
Great news and long overdue. Hopefully our at times petty minded politicians will now work for the benefit of all.
By Craig Earley-O'Toole
As petty as this may sound to some, I really hope they drop the name Merseyside in favour of something like Greater Liverpool. Merseyside is a dreadful brand name. Liverpool on the other hand is a global brand – I just hope the outlying boroughs swallow a little pride and are able to see that.
By Chris M
Whilst I conceptually agree with the combined authority, I totally disagree with the name. Liverpool is the brand, and a brand second only to London in international recognition. If the UK is a Leader in "Soft Power" then the "Liverpool" brand is a valuable asset to the UK. "Greater Merseyside" will server to dilute that brand. It will also be prone to confusion with "Greater Manchester" both would be the "GMCA". If you also feel this way please respond to the consultation and let you Local Authority know.
By Andrew
Identity is important to small and big towns/citys and it shouldn’t be the biggest who always gets the name you only have to look at the name (cheshire west and chester council) names don’t get any worse than that! Northwich is in mid cheshire and look at what we have ended up with! A name that means absolutely nothing to us in our town! Except as an insult! Merseyside yes is a dreadfull name but greater Liverpool differently NOT! As its takes too much of the identity cake from the people in that area, How about greater manchester, merseyside, cheshire and Lancashire as one combined entity GREATER NORTHWEST so nobody gets the identity but just the region name! it could have one central assembly with an equal number of executive councillors from each district say 10 for argument sake! Surely if we became one big area we could negotiate incredible investment/revenue streams not just on a national scale but international scale to the benefit of the whole region. I would suggest the assembley HQ being in a small town central to the region. So has the 6 regions of Merseyside explored this avenue?
By Tone
More deck chair moving. When will the real nettle be grasped, make a real single authority under one chief exec or city mayor and remove duplication at the top end salaries, thus saving money for those in Councils who actually deliver services of value to local residents? Turkeys at Christmas syndrome will of course prevent this ever becoming reality.
By John brown
John Brown – lump everything in together? You mean like Birmingham who have been recognised as one of the worst councils and are currently at the start of the process to break it up. Let Liverpool/Merseyside (whatever) carry on doing what they are doing whilst Manchester gets on with the real business of being the UK’s second city.
By Calm down!