Lancashire has been told that securing an elected mayor for the county is “a priority” for the Prime Minister and could come with a £1 billion funding commitment.
The message was delivered during a long-awaited meeting between the government and the leaders of Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council, who collectively also head the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) devolution body.
It took place last week when devolution minister Jim McMahon visited County Hall for a gathering that had first been requested by the trio last December and twice since cancelled by one of the minister’s predecessors.
The meeting was originally sought to elicit a government response to a list of demands on which Lancashire had previously indicated its support for a shift to a mayor-led devolution model would depend.
Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Phil Riley said that, during the discussion, Mr McMahon stressed that “getting Lancashire into mayoral devolution was a priority, not just for him, but for Andy Burnham”.
It's understood the minister indicated he would expect Lancashire to receive a cash sum to go with the additional devolved powers conferred on a mayor that would be equivalent to similar-sized counties that have already done a deal.
An approximate figure of £35 million a year over 30 years – just over a £1bn in total – was mooted, although Mr McMahon emphasised he was unable to make a formal commitment on behalf of the Treasury by pre-agreeing any precise amounts.
The issue of funding had been one of the key matters on which the LCCA had sought clarification in a letter sent to the government shortly before last Christmas.
The authority had said its willingness to “engage positively and explore the principle of mayoral devolution” was based on an assumption that the county would be handed “circa £36m”, putting it in the gold standard bracket of devolution deals.
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The Prime Minister has made no secret of the fact that he wants to see more ‘metro mayors’ rolled out nationwide, flying the flag for their areas just as he was able to when he held the position in Greater Manchester.
A Mayor-free devolution deal was signed in 2023 due to disagreements on the position around the county, but Mr McMahon said he wants to see proposals for a deeper deal in the county, ie a mayor.
On LCCA's top table it is the Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council Cllr Stephen Atkinson who is the hold out on pressing ahead with appointing a mayor.
He said after the meeting the issue of a mayor will be “subject to widespread consultation and will require public agreement”.
He added: “We’re going to work constructively to see what the offer is.”
From May 2027 the Red Rose County will be the only area in the North of England without a mayor - something business leaders have previously said means it has missed out on millions in investment and job creation.
Cllr Phil Riley said: “In Blackburn with Darwen, we are absolutely clear that is just not a situation the county should be in – and so we just simply have to find ways of accepting the information that has been given to us by the minister and moving forward to get on the pathway to a mayoral authority.”
In a joint statement the LCCA leaders said the meeting was "positive and constructive" and provided "further information on the potential opportunities and financial advantages and how these could support Lancashire’s ambitions for growth, investment and public services".
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