There is ‘no deadline’ for the creation of metro mayors with fresh powers over transport, despite fears in the sector that areas could miss out on a 2017 timetable and have to wait until 2020, Transport Network can reveal.
The news follows concerns in Yorkshire that city region areas have missed out on the chance to have a metro mayor by 2017, due in part to local wrangling.
Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of Barnsley Council and chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, told the Yorkshire Post that plans to elect a metro mayor by 2017 were in doubt.
When questioned about the presumed deadline, a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman told Transport Network: ‘There is no deadline. The Government welcomes proposals from any area that wants to take substantial powers from Whitehall. This is a bottom-up process and the door remains open for authorities to come forward with strong proposals that are supported locally.
‘All devolution deals agreed to date have specified that the first mayor will be elected in May 2017. The arrangements for any new mayoral elections and length of term of office is a matter for the Government and authorities concerned. This would be subject to the statutory processes and conditions being met.’
Under the process for setting up a mayoral combined authority, which could be granted automatic powers over bus franchising under the Bus Services Bill, statute requires an area to undertake and publish a governance review and scheme followed by a public consultation.
The secretary of state for communities must then consider such proposals and a summary of consultation responses, and take a decision as to whether the statutory conditions have been met.
This process appears to be the major time restriction on establising metro mayors.
The DCLG highlighted that ‘devolution is a bottom up process and it is for local areas to set out proposals’.
Nine areas have struck mayoral combined authority deals, with the first elections set for May 2017.
Transport Network’s sister publication The MJ has more comment here from a separate investigation.
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