Ministers have signed the “trailblazer” devolution deal with Greater Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham.
The deal includes more local control over regeneration, transport, skills and culture, but stops short of giving the mayor tax-raising powers. The authority will also be able to retain 100% of business rates for the next decade.
Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison signed the deal with Burnham yesterday, along with the 10 local council leaders.
Burnham said the devolution deal was the seventh for the city region “but this is by some way the deepest”.
“This deal takes devolution in the city region further and faster than ever before, giving us more ability to improve the lives of people who live and work here.”
The former Labour leadership candidate said the new deal offered significant new powers, including “new responsibilities over housing that will allow us to crack down on rogue landlords and control over £150m brownfield funding”.
Burnham added: “The signing of this deal marks a new era for English devolution.”
The deals signed with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands are being used as “trailblazers” by the government to see whether it is the right approach to greater devolution in England.
Davison said: “This is the very essence of devolution – leaders taking decisions and being accountable to the communities they serve.”
New measures include:
- The right to retain 100% of business rates for 10 years and 25-year business rate retention in designated growth zones
- A new partnership with Homes England, which will commit to investing £400m in Greater Manchester by 2026.
- Brownfield regeneration funding worth £150m
- £10m to support levelling up and growth priorities for Greater Manchester.
- Devolution of funding to retrofit buildings, to bring down energy bills for households across Greater Manchester.
Greater Manchester has also been named as one of 12 areas in the UK that will designate a new Investment Zone area, which will be backed by £80m over five years.
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