10.03.16
WMCA to go ahead as Sandwell joins six other councils
Another council has joined the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), allowing the parliamentary process to begin for it to be established on June 1.
Sandwell council agreed to join Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, completing the WMCA.
The WMCA was the first region outside the north of England to sign a devolution deal that includes a metro-mayor. Its value was worth £1bn.
Councillor Bob Sleigh, chair of the shadow board of the WMCA, said: “These are exciting times as local authorities show a commitment to working together to move powers and funding from Westminster to the West Midlands.
“We believe that by joining forces, with additional support and input from the three Local Enterprise Partnerships and a number of district councils, we will have the ability to make the right decisions that will best serve the region as a whole.”
When the WMCA bid was announced last year it was originally due to launch in April, with planned savings of £35m.