Agenda item

The Chairman introduced a report on Devolution in Hampshire, regarding the opportunity following the Scottish independence referendum for potential devolution of powers from central government to local government in England. It was reported that the County Council had recently agreed two motions, one of which was in support of the existing ‘two tier’ model of local government in Hampshire, the other calling for devolution of powers, particularly from unelected quangos, and in support of subsidiarity (and therefore devolution to districts and parishes where appropriate). 

The Chairman highlighted that recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government indicated that he would be open to proposals where all parties involved were supportive and could demonstrate they were competent to take powers on. A proposal had been developed for a Solent Unitary Authority, however there were mixed views on this as it would require dividing up a number of district areas. An alternative proposal was for powers to be devolved to the Hampshire area (including the County Council, Isle of Wight, Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils and the districts) without changing authority boundaries. It was noted that a window of opportunity was currently available, however partners would need to act fast to take advantage.

Partners commented that there was an opportunity to create a new model of devolution which would not require creating a new tier of government. It was noted that the major political parties appeared to support empowering local areas to promote economic growth, therefore there was likely to be willingness to devolve powers in this area e.g. around the skills agenda. Infrastructure was another area where there was interest in Hampshire authorities taking greater ownership for their area.

It was noted that the Solent proposal had been discussed at a recent meeting of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). There had been a variety of views on the proposal, however there was consensus to seize the opportunity to explore the potential for devolution further. An additional meeting of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) had been convened in January 2015 in order to discuss the issue further. Further discussions needed to take place to develop what powers would be sought and why, and what it was hoped to achieve by doing so. It was commented that the ‘metro mayor’ model being proposed for northern city regions may not be appropriate for Hampshire. It was suggested that more than one proposal could be discussed with central government. 

A number of District Council representatives commented that they were supportive of retaining current local government arrangements while working closely together, and were concerned about the impact of a proposal that would split their district area in two. Another partner welcomed the opportunity to review ‘who does what’ in delivery of public services, to consider what was best done at national level, county level and district level. It was noted having sufficient critical mass in order to deliver services was important in the current financial climate.

The Chairman highlighted that a meeting had been convened in early January with Network Rail and Southwest Trains, regarding investment in the rail network in the South, which was a practical step towards infrastructure investment that would support economic growth.

It was concluded that further discussions would be held, to seek to take advantage of the opportunity presented, and further define proposals for devolution in Hampshire.