Leader of the Conservative Group Cllr Robert Alden has welcomed the announcement set to be made today of a significant devolution deal for the West Midlands.
Robert said "the announcement that £8billion is to be devolved down over the next 30 years is to be welcomed. What is key now is to work with the non metropolitan Councils in the three LEP areas to get them signed up to our combined authority as well. The three LEP area for the authority means that 90% of people in the combined authorities area lives and works in our region. This package is focused on helping grow our regional economy and closing the skills and productivity gap which have held our region back. If we can raise our skill levels to be best in class it will add 9.9% to the regions GVA. If we can deliver the growth envisaged in the plan the region will be £24.6billion better off by 2030."
"If we can get this right and up and running soon as a region we will be able to go back to the Government demonstrating how even more can be devolved down to our area."
Robert concluded "Here in the West Midlands region we are the birth place of Shakespeare, the home of rugby, we started the industrial revolution that modernised the world, founded the football league, have the best chocolate in Cadburys, are leaders in the automotive industry, we now have a significant devolution deal and if we can get the combined authority right we won't just be a regional powerhouse, we will be the engine that drives the nations economy in the 21st century. The West Midlands back were it belongs at the top of our countries economy".