WMCA Scheme submitted to government

The shadow West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has submitted its final Scheme and Governance Review to government.

The Scheme sets out the proposed membership, geography, funding, powers, duties and executive arrangements of the emerging combined authority.

The Governance Review looks specifically at the justification for creating a combined authority and whether the areas outlined in the Scheme will benefit more from the creation of a combined authority.

The government will review the submission to assess whether it meets the statutory tests. An order will then be created which will take around six weeks and after that Greg Clark's office at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will run an eight week statutory consultation.

The Scheme and Governance Review will be debated in both houses of Parliament and once approved the Secretary of State will confirm a formal date of establishment which, at the earliest, would be April 2016.

Councillor Bob Sleigh, Chair of the WMCA Shadow Board, commented:

This is an exciting time for the West Midlands. Fifteen members are now signed up to the emerging West Midlands Combined Authority and are committed to working together to build a stronger economy and better public services with new jobs, better skills, more housing and quicker transport links that will benefit local people and businesses throughout the region.

We have worked hard to deliver our Scheme and Governance Review to government who will now follow its procedures around review and consultation. This is not a quick process and nor should it be. However, it is another important step forward for the Combined Authority, a step to legitimising us as a governing body

Note

• The constituent members of the emerging combined authority are Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils.
• Our non constituent members are the Local Enterprise Partnerships for The Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham & Solihull, alongside Cannock Chase, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Redditch, Tamworth and Telford and Wrekin councils.