Chamber publishes briefing on English Devolution White Paper

A new briefing has been published by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) outlining the key implications of the forthcoming English Devolution Bill for the West Midlands.

The English Devolution White Paper is a proposal to transfer more powers from central government to regional administrations, a process that began in the late 1990s and is set to continue more broadly across England.

Much of the West Midlands has already been affected by devolution, with the creation of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in 2016, currently led by Mayor Richard Parker.

The government now plans to further devolve power to local authorities, both by extending the powers of existing Strategic Authorities and by creating new Strategic Authorities in other areas.

The WMCA received further powers on 1 April 2025, including its first Integrated Settlement, which allows the Combined Authority to manage its budget more freely across different policy areas.

The extended powers also give the WMCA more control over decision making, transport, skills, public services, housing and planning, and environment and climate change.

It is likely that South and East Staffordshire will also see administrative change in the next two years, although proposals for what that will look like are still under discussion with the government.

All local authorities have been asked to make proposals about how devolution could be extended to create new Strategic Authorities, which will cover a minimum population of 500,000 people but will have a smaller remit of control than Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

The deadline for proposals is 28 November this year.

GBCC will continue to monitor the devolution situation and report back to businesses about its impact.

Senior policy advisor Ruth Fleet (pictured) said: “Further devolution presents exciting opportunities, but we must continue to work collaboratively to ensure these opportunities are realised.

“The Chamber has strong working relationships with existing authorities across our region and nationally who share our ambitions to drive inclusive economic growth and increase prosperity.

“We will continue to work with these stakeholders to ensure that this transition of power is as straightforward for businesses as possible.”

To support the work on devolution, the Chamber is encouraging organisations to feed into the Quarterly Business Report Q2 survey. The application takes five minutes to fill out and participants stand a chance of winning a £150 voucher for The Bull's Head, Earlswood.