Only ‘few’ councils to win substantial fiscal devolution

Author: The MJ   |  

The MJ covers the publication of our recent report Making Devolution Work. Read their article in full here and the report itself here.

Few councils are likely to gain significant financial powers under the Government’s devolution drive, a think tank report has warned.

A study by Localis on behalf of Grant Thornton has claimed that while many local authorities are pursuing greater fiscal control, the devolution of sizable powers including the ability to set new council tax bands appears ‘unlikely’.

Momentum on decentralisation came to a head this week when chancellor George Osborne announced plans to hand business rates over to council control. Locations such as Greater Manchester and Sheffield City Region have also already negotiated power-sharing deals, with many others now looking to follow suit.