Metro mayor and combined authority unveil 100-day plan

The Liverpool city region metro mayor and combined authority have published “an ambitious 100-day plan to ensure that its historic devolution deal makes an immediate and tangible impact on communities across the six boroughs”.

Rotheram makes more than 50 pledges that he says will be delivered over the next three months across policy areas including transport, economic growth, skills, housing, environment and infrastructure.

Rotheram was elected mayor of Liverpool city region on 4 May and published his 100-day plan last Friday, 71 days after the election.

The action plan brings together existing combined authority policy commitments, elements of the city region devolution deal, plus manifesto commitments from the Metro Mayor himself. He said: “Devolution is a massive opportunity for our city region and it is absolutely vital that we begin to grasp that opportunity and engender real momentum and energy into our programme. It’s clear from my early discussions with Government that devolution is the only show in town, and they see the new mayoral combined authorities as the vehicles for delivering transformational change and rebalancing the UK economy.”

Rotheram added: “It is also very obvious that those who are able to move quickly, show delivery capacity and formulate well thought-through asks will get priority consideration. Our 100-day plan is not simply a wish list. It is a coherent set of actions that align with our vision for the city region.”

The pledges have been grouped together under five themes that underpin the future vision for the City Region – ambitious, fair, green, connected and together. Among the key actions outlined in the plan are:

• Appointing an internationally respected industry expert to head-up the special purpose vehicle to plan and deliver a Mersey Tidal Barrage.
• Lord O’Neill undertook a rapid baseline review of economic strategy, informing our blueprint for future economic prosperity, including the ambition to become one of the world’s leading tech cities.
• Creating a fairness and social justice advisory board to ensure securing inclusive growth becomes a connecting thread across all aspects of policy, including a commitment to support the adoption of a real living wage by public and sector employers across the region.
• Delivering a skills revolution through a city region-wide commission to ensure people are equipped with the academic and technical skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.
• Breaking down barriers for young people and apprentices to access work by progressing work on a free travel scheme for apprentices across the city region
• Taking decisive steps towards the vision of a green and zero carbon city region through a major initiative to improve air quality, including the potential adoption of clean air zones, and embracing a local journey strategy to promote cycling, walking and sustainable transport.
• Embracing a housing first approach as the basis for a city region-wide strategy to tackle homelessness and street sleeping
• Delivering and campaigning for radically improved rail connectivity by commencing work on the Halton Curve to expand services to North Wales, and by continuing to present a robust case for a new Liverpool to Manchester connection as the first phase of Crossrail for the North, also known as Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Rotheram emphasised the broad support for the plan and the key role played by combined authority members and the Liverpool City Region LEP in helping to focus on a clear set of early objectives.

He added: “The devolution deal and the creation of a mayoral combined authority is our chance to deliver a step change in performance and ambition. I have defined our role in very simple terms.”