INDEPENDENT Councillor Neil Johnson has called for a halt to Warrington Borough Council’s vote on whether to proceed with a Cheshire devolution deal after receiving Council paperwork which he says proves that such an arrangement would not be the best option for the town’s economy.
Neil has obtained papers from the Council’s “task and finish” group from 2016 which was set up to explore the merits of all devolution options.
A report by Council officers, presented to councillors on the “task and finish” group, revealed:
1) An analysis of “actual movements of workers” in and out of Warrington (known as “interdependency”), calculating the number of people commuting to and from Warrington results from the sub-regions results in the following figures:
• Liverpool City region (31,343)
• Manchester (29,059)
• Cheshire (10,434)
2) The Council’s own report shows that Warrington’s strategic transportation aspirations are more aligned with Liverpool City Region. There are more people who use buses and trains to travel to Merseyside (including places like St Helens, Halton and Liverpool) than anywhere else. Warrington would benefit from improved transport links with Merseyside, not with rural communities in Cheshire.
3) Warrington is part of Mersey Flood catchment area / partnership.
4) It is predicted that the only places to show a working age population growth to 2034 are Warrington, Manchester, Trafford, Salford and Liverpool local authorities. All local authorities in Cheshire East and Cheshire West are predicted to decline.
The report concludes:”Unsurprisingly Warrington’s strongest economic interrelationships are on the Mid-Mersey footprint – with a leaning towards east Liverpool City Region (Halton and St Helens).”
Cllr. Johnson says: “This devolution analysis, released to me by the Council, show clearly that the rush to enter into a deal with Cheshire does not fit the facts.
“The Council’s own evidence, presented following a comprehensive study by officers, tells a different story.
“To my eyes, it is shocking that the Council have declined to share this report publicly. We have to ask why. The answer is because, in real terms, Warrington’s interrelationships with Cheshire rank THIRD, behind Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Going into business with Cheshire means that the citizens of our town are being palmed off with a third-rate deal. Instead, we should be looking to build stronger economic links with the area that we have the strongest relationships with. The Council’s own report says as much!
“The town’s MPs, for all their bluster, have ignored the Council’s own recommendations and ridden roughshod over the evidence. This report is not opinion, it is scientific study backed up by hard fact.
“There is no justification for supporting a devolution deal with Cheshire. Moreover, we should not make economically significant decisions based on flawed information, or dive into a half-baked devolution deal that hasn’t been properly scrutinised just for the sake of it.
“In light of this, I will be writing to the Chief Executive and the Mayor and asking them to scrap the vote. How many Labour councillors have seen this report or studied it themselves? Are they making an informed decision? All councillors should be presented with a proper analysis, and a real public consultation should follow, based on the facts and figures.
“I will be voting against any Cheshire devolution deal if Labour proceed with their plans, and I call on my fellow ward councillors to do the same. Warrington’s future must come first, not Labour’s political ambitions.”
In response a Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “The three Cheshire and Warrington Councils have for many years worked together on the prospect of agreeing a devolution agreement for the area.
“A lot has changed since 2016, when Warrington started to consider devolution opportunities. Importantly, government sees Cheshire and Warrington as a viable area that can inherit more powers and funding through a devolution agreement.
“This will bring huge improvements, with £650 million of funding confirmed over the next 30 years for the area, if the three councils vote to approve a devolution agreement. This funding will give Cheshire and Warrington more powers and funding to support the economy, transport, public services, skills and education, housing and employment.
“Councillors in Warrington will be able to debate and discuss devolution for Cheshire and Warrington at this Monday’s Full Council meeting.”
Meanwhile, Warrington Borough Council has published an addendum to full council papers which includes confirmation of funding allocations for Cheshire and Warrington if all three councils vote to go for devolution – over £650 million over a 30 year period.
