Warwickshire County Council could become part of West Midlands Combined Authority

The leader of Warwickshire County Council has scotched suggestions that full membership of the West Midlands Combined Authority is a done deal – but confirmed it is under consideration.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE (Con, Stour & the Vale) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it would be “negligent” to not consider the move with streams of government funding set to take different routes but that the matter would go through due process.

The West Midlands Local Authority, led by elected mayor Andy Street, is a formal alliance of many councils across the Midlands from Shropshire to the west to Warwickshire to the east.

The councils still function in their own right but in a move towards more devolved powers for regions of the country, the authority has a much greater say over how to bring in investment for and allocate money to economic development, housing, skills and transport.

Seven councils – Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall – are constituent members with full voting rights.

Warwickshire and four of the five districts and boroughs in the county are among many non-constituent members that have less of a say and involvement. Warwick District Council is an "observer organisation" on the periphery with no voting rights.

Stepping up would see the county bound by a more formalised link but also potentially benefit from funding opportunities.

That could prove particularly important with the imminent end of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), business-led groups that bring together elements of the private and public sector to boost the economy and access pots of funding.

However, concern over the unknown implications for Warwickshire were expressed during Wednesday’s meeting of North Warwickshire Borough Council.

A member of the public addressed borough councillors – including county cabinet members Councillor Martin Watson (Con, Coleshill North & Water Orton), portfolio holder for economy, and Councillor Margaret Bell (Con, Hartshill & Mancetter), portfolio holder for adult social care & health – and claimed the county would be making the decision imminently “without consulting the district councils”.

Borough leader Councillor David Wright (Con, Fillongley) was asked to write to the county to express “frustration over the lack of consultation” and “request an urgent delay to the decision making process in order to allow time for an open debate on the implications of joining the combined authority”.

Cllr Wright said that he understood the county’s cabinet would consider the matter on July 13 “and then at a meeting of full council at a later date”.

“I was not advised of this development until last week and it is fair to say that all of the relevant information is not available to partners, such as this council, nor is it clear whether all of the details have been confirmed,” he said.

“I share your disappointment that this important matter is being considered at such short notice and without any of the consultation that you would normally expect to see.

“I am currently not confident that Warwickshire County Council has all the information it needs to make a decision, including the views of other constituent and non-constituent councils that make up the combined authority.

“I am happy, therefore, to write to the county council setting out this view, asking that a decision is not made until all of the information has been provided and consulted upon.”

Cllr Seccombe said it was “not the case” that a decision had or would be taken without engagement with stakeholders.

“It is fair to say that, from time to time, we explore whether we want to change our status and that is under consideration but there has certainly been no decision,” she said.

“We review whether joining or not is the best thing for our residents and businesses. That is more relevant at the moment than before because of the demise of LEPs through which funding streams have flowed.

“This will be about the continuation of funding streams at a time when the LEPs are not there and it appears combined authorities may be the way.

“We are considering it but of course, any further consideration beyond that would be subject to consultation, discussions across districts and boroughs on what it means for them, our residents and our businesses, if indeed that is what we want to do.

“It is a very long way from all that has been said.”

Asked for her own view, Cllr Seccombe replied: “I absolutely would not want to predetermine any decision of the cabinet.

"In a way David is right, he says there isn’t that much information and it has to be brought together to understand it.

“We have to consider what it means for funding streams for Warwickshire if we don’t do it and what it means for funding streams for Warwickshire if we do. At all times the best interests of our residents and businesses have to be foremost in our minds.

“It is a changing period of time because of the changes around business, business support, LEPs, growth, the growth hub, they are all considerations that need to be taken in the square light of day.

“It would be wrong if we did not consider it and buried our heads in the ground, it would be negligent, but I could not say where it might go at this stage.”