Leeds and Sheffield are likely to join Manchester in gaining greater control of local spending within weeks as the UK government presses ahead with English devolution. Both city regions are likely to receive more powers over transport, skills, business support and housebuilding before Decembers Autumn Statement.
The Government has said it hopes Manchester will be the first of many cities to win greater devolution of powers after reaching an historic settlement.
Giving UK cities more powers and financial autonomy could boost the economy by up to £79bn a year, the independent City Growth Commission has found.
Chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has signalled his willingness to devolve a raft of property taxes to London – it has emerged.
New homes should be built on golf courses in an attempt to solve the housing crisis, Vince Cable has suggested.
‘Perverse’ new rules easing the conversion of offices and shops into homes are destroying jobs and are a ‘bad example’ of central government control over planning, business secretary Vince Cable has said.
Business secretary Vince Cable has criticised planning reforms introduced by his own government as perverse because of their effect on employment space.
The majority of additional borrowing capacity made available to town halls to fund the building of new council homes remains untouched, the communities minister has revealed.
In his monthly column in The MJ, Localis chief executive Alex Thomson discusses Localis’ conference season goings-on and the cross-party support for devolution in the UK.
Vince Cable has called for a fresh wave of housing to be built on green belt land to solve Britain’s housing shortage – noting that new developments are being focused on the south-east because “people are not flocking to Burnley”.