Coventry is set to sign up to become part of a ‘Greater Birmingham’ super authority as it aims to secure a larger share of central government cash and greater local control over spending.
Coventry City Council and Labour leader Ann Lucas is leading the charge for the move which would see the city become part of a recent agreement signed today by the four Black Country councils and Birmingham City Council to create a combined authority.
Conference calls between Coun Lucas and other council leaders have been taking place this week, and confirmation of Coventry’s position is expected in “weeks rather than months” according to Coventry council’s business chief Coun Kevin Maton.
However, the Telegraph understands the move is causing division among the council’s leading Labour group and roughly half of the party’s councillors signalled their opposition to the move during a private vote on Monday.
It is understood many would like to hold out to see if Warwickshire will also agree to sign up but, with central government seemingly pushing hard for combined authorities as part of devolution plans, Coventry’s leaders are keen not to miss out.
Solihull is also understood to be on the verge of signing an agreement to join the new authority.
Coun Maton said: “I don’t think Coventry will stand aside from this whether it’s Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire; Coventry and Solihull or Coventry and Warwickshire. It’s bigger than where Warwickshire will go.
“Rather than standing alone we are going to have to get in there and negotiate hard over how this is going to work to our advantage.”
But he added: “There’s little time to do this, that’s the concern.
“It’s come as quite a surprise. It could be a good thing and something that works for Coventry.”
Fears Coventry could become overshadowed by Birmingham under a new super authority structure were dismissed by Coun Maton.
He said: “Europe hasn’t stopped England, Scotland and Wales maintaining their own identities and I think it will be similar in Coventry.
“The fact is we are tied into the West Midlands economically and through transport links. We can’t get away from where we are.
“To pull up the drawbridge would be a disaster for our local economy.
“We need to sit down and talk sensibly like adults about how we can make this work for Coventry and for the West Midlands.”
The talks come as the West Midlands looks to organise itself in a way which will allow it to challenge Manchester and the North East where similar combined authorities will compete for government cash.
Coventry City Council would continue to exist under the new combined authority structure and it is thought the move could help attract hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to the region.
Coun Maton – a former employee of the now abolished West Midlands County Council – admitted the new authority seemed similar to the now defunct council on the face of it.
But he said it must be set up in a different way in order to avoid suffering a similar fate and that the combined authorities’ powers must be made clear.
He said: “What powers and areas of responsibility are these authorities going to have?
“If part of their job is to develop economic strategies, then what is the future of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership?
“There doesn’t seem to be much point in having an LEP if that’s the case.”
He added: “There’s a strong arm tactic being deployed by central government. They want to get this done quickly having seen the desire for greater local control a spending powers.
“But it’s a nonsense that Scotland and Wales, with smaller populations than the West Midlands, have a greater say over how money is spent than areas of England.”
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