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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is set to begin a ‘fast track round of negotiations’ over expanding the city-region’s devolution deal, he has revealed in comments made to Local Government Chronicle.
Mr Burnham confirmed that he and his counterpart in the West Midlands, Andy Street, were set to begin talks over expanding their devolution arrangements. Enhanced devolved powers for local government across England were announced in the Levelling Up White Paper, published earlier this month.
The mayor also commented that he had a long list of asks from government, including increasing powers over transport, as well as on skills, building on existing responsibility for adult education, to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled workers to ensure the future of the city-region economy. Mayor Burnham said to LGC:
“We’re glad to be given the opportunity to sit down [with government], we’re glad of the vote of confidence in Greater Manchester and in devolution as a whole. We’ve got lofty ambitions but the government really needs to start filling in the detail now.”
On other aspects of the Levelling Up White Paper, Mr Burnham was optimistic that plans could reduce ‘silo’ mentalities within Whitehall departments. He cited the example of the Department for Transport’s plans for HS2 trains to enter a surface-level platform at Manchester Piccadilly and limiting space for future development and regeneration of the area around the station.
He was also open-minded on plans for regional Levelling Up Directors to coordinate and scrutinise action and progress towards the government’s 12 levelling up ambitions, but feared this could further centralise decision-making. However, he welcomed the potential of these figures in bringing together different government departments, and in being able to demonstrate the track record of local government in Manchester such as has been delivered over homelessness and Metrolink extensions in Greater Manchester.