Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Council leaders have welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement to support devolution for the Wessex area.
But they say that it could be some time before the details are known and will now have to wait for further details from the Government about what it might mean.
Said the joint news statement from the leaders of Dorset Council; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Somerset Council and Wiltshire Council: “We warmly welcome the Chancellor’s commitment today to support devolution for Wessex in the Autumn Budget Statement. This is a significant vote of confidence in our region and recognition that decisions affecting local people are best made closer to the communities they serve.
“We have consistently made a strong case for devolution in Wessex because we believe local people, businesses and communities are best placed to shape the future of our region.
“For residents, it means greater local control over decisions affecting transport, housing, skills, regeneration and economic growth, enabling new, significant funding and investment to be directed towards the priorities that matter most to our communities.
“For Wessex, devolution has the potential to help create better-paid jobs, support our town centres and high streets, improve access to skills and training and strengthen transport connections. Above all, it is about ensuring that decisions affecting the future of Wessex are shaped here.
“Elsewhere in England, devolution has already opened up significant benefits for residents and businesses. For residents, this devolution deal could mean tackling the local housing crisis by building the right homes in the right places, improved infrastructure that will better link our communities, better jobs, better protection for our precious environment and more powers to reinvent our town centres as places where businesses want to invest and people want to be.
“Wessex is ready. We have done the groundwork and look forward to continuing to work closely with Government on an agreement that delivers lasting benefits for our residents, businesses and communities for generations.”
The councils have pledged to share information and updates as it is made available.
