Our landmark devolution deal for the West Midlands delivers more funding, more powers and ensures important decisions are made here, not in London
Working with local MPs and Councils, our Mayor Andy Street has negotiated a ‘Deeper Devolution Deal’ with the Government, worth more than £1.5 BILLION.
The deal gives the West Midlands new powers around housing, transport, employment and regeneration and means more spending decisions will be made locally – not in London.
Our landmark deal includes:
- 100% of West Midlands business rates being retained here for 10 years - worth around £450m to the region.
- A housing deal worth up to £500m that will pave the way for additional brownfield regeneration - like the works at the former Simon Digby School in Chelmsley Wood – and double the pace of building affordable and social housing.
- Funds to expand high-speed broadband to make it accessible to even more local residents.
- New “levelling up zones”, backed by 25-year business rate retention, worth an estimated £500m.
- Control of funds to support retrofit enabling more homes to be improved across the region.
This significant funding, along with new powers, will supercharge the progress we are making in improving and expanding our transport network. It will also enable us to continue transforming derelict industrial land to build the homes we need while protecting our precious greenbelt.
The total amount secured since 2017 from the Government is a whopping £7.4 BILLION. And all of this has been achieved without costing taxpayers in the West Midlands a penny more, as Andy has continued his
commitment to reject a Mayoral Council Tax for a SIXTH year in a row.
Andy Street added:
Team West Midlands has worked incredibly hard to agree the best possible deal for our residents having earned the trust of Government thanks to our track record of delivery since the formation of the Combined Authority. Together, we can continue to improve quality of life for local people right across our region in the months and years ahead.
