WARRINGTON Borough Council has voted in favour of pressing on with a devolution deal for an elected Mayor with two Cheshire councils – but the final say rests with Cheshire East.
Following Full Council endorsement last night, Monday, Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet is set to vote on securing a devolution agreement for Cheshire and Warrington.
During the Full Council meeting, councillors discussed what a devolution agreement would mean for Warrington and the wider area. The meeting ultimately endorsed the principle of establishing a Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) for Cheshire and Warrington, although there was some opposition and reservations.
This followed similar backing from Cheshire West and Chester Council, which endorsed a devolution agreement during its Full Council meeting on Tuesday 9 September, followed by Cabinet approval on Wednesday 10 September. Cheshire East Council is also set to vote on Wednesday 17 September. If they don’t back the deal, and there is dissent from some elected members, the whole deal will be scuppered.
Warrington’s Cabinet next meets on Monday, 22 September to take a final, formal vote on the establishment of a MCA – a milestone that could lead to substantial new investment of £650m over 30 years in key areas such as transport, housing, skills development, and economic growth.
The proposed Mayoral Combined Authority would represent over one million residents and would be operational by early 2026, with the first mayoral election expected in May 2027.
If all three councils approve the deal, the area will move forward with securing a devolution agreement for Cheshire and Warrington.
Leader of Warrington Borough Council, Cllr Hans Mundry, said:”Warrington’s Full Council endorsement marks an important milestone. We now await final consideration by Cabinet on Monday 22 September.
“Devolution is about creating opportunities that directly benefit our communities. Through a devolution agreement, Cheshire and Warrington would receive investment of over £650 million over the next 30 years, which presents a real chance to drive forward improvements in transport, housing, skills, business support and beyond.”
Council leader Cllr Hans Mundry
Independents Cllr. Stuart Mann, Cllr Eunice Peters and Neil Johnson voted against it along with Reform’s Cllr. John Roddy, Conservative Cllr. Rob Tynan and Lib Dem Cllr. Laura Booth.
The Liberal Democrats group supported the proposal for a Devolution deal with the two Cheshire Councils. Cheshire West and Chester have already voted in favour and Cheshire East vote on 17 September.
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Mark Browne said, “We will be supporting the proposal even though we have reservations. If we don’t go forward with a deal, we will be left behind. It is the only game in town. £650 million will be available for our area over a 30 year period and it will open up opportunities for more funding from the government. Without this funding, our finances will be in much greater trouble than they are already. The watchwords are ‘scrutiny’ and ‘transparency’ and we will be holding both the Mayor and our local Council to account on both of these.”
Deputy Leader Cllr Helen Speed added, “I have real concerns about the town losing its autonomy and the possibility of a right-wing politician becoming Mayor with a casting vote that is not in our interests. Also there have been problems in several areas with combined authorities, such as Tees Valley, which is under a Best Value Notice for weaknesses in value for money and serious governance problems and the West of England which was put into special measures for governance and financial irregularity. We have to make sure that our Combined Authority has sound governance. I was pleased that the Labour administration accepted our proposals which will help ensure audit and scrutiny are as strong as possible. Here in Warrington, it is vital that we have a well worked out infrastructure plan, so we are ready to take advantage of any funding that becomes available and that we get a fair share of national funding. I believe we desperately need more affordable and social housing and we must ensure the future of Warrington’s Own Buses despite the government refusing to give us the safeguards we wanted.”
Cllr Graham Gowland commented, “The inaugural mayoral election will take place in May 2027 at the same time as local elections in the two Cheshire authorities, but our elections will not happen until May 2028. There would be many advantages if all the elections were held on the same day. I ask the Council to prepare a report on moving our next election to May 2027. We must insist on full transparency and scrutiny for all spending plans and, where appropriate, full public consultation. Trust must be rebuilt with our residents. Many residents do not understand what a new combined authority would mean for them. It is essential we have a much fuller engagement campaign to get the message across.”
Former Council Leader Cllr Ian Marks added, “I am concerned about the overlap between the Mayor’s powers and responsibilities and those of the three Councils. Boundaries must be very clearly laid out. The public is rightly concerned about more bureaucracy and red tape, and whether promises will be kept. Yet I take comfort from fact that the business community is overwhelmingly in favour of a deal and that there is a good chance we will be able to keep more of our business rates, which are high in our successful town. Multi-year funding will be of benefit to strategic planning. Like my colleagues, I am very worried that the public do not understand what devolution is all about. They want to know what’s in it for them and will it make them better off and not worse. Just because they do not have a vote on the deal, we must take the public with us. We don’t want a lot of PR spin, just simple answers to the key questions. The big unknown is how Cheshire East will vote on 17 September. If they say ‘no’, the whole deal is of,f which has severe implications for Council funding.”
For more information about the Cheshire and Warrington devolution programme visit cheshireandwarringtondevolution.com
