​Warwickshire County Council looks set to get extra powers from government under deal announced in budget

​On Tuesday this week the county council cabinet approved moving forward with a ‘Level 2’ devolution deal for Warwickshire. And the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced the government’s offer in Wednesday’s budget.

The deal on the table is a standardised deal, and due to the upcoming local elections in May, and the impending general election, it seems an agreement could be reached by as early as the end of March, with it coming into place in April 2025.

A Level 2 deal will see the council take over administration of some powers and roles – but will not see the government provide an extra money. Instead funding that would have been previously allocated for Warwickshire but administered through the mechanics of central Government will come directly to the county council.

The authority would become directly responsible for the allocation of the adult education budget – starting in 2026. Also the planning and delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for Warwickshire would become the responsibility of the county council from April 2025. Currently this is a responsibility held by the county’s district and borough councils.

The deal would also see integration of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions into the council; devolution of Homes England compulsory land assembly/purchase powers to be concurrently held with and exercisable by Homes England; access to bus franchising powers – although the report notes this is unlikely to be taken up within the medium term; along with ability to input into the Local Skill Improvement Plan for and strengthen links between national and local work on climate change and energy planning.

A Level 2 deal is the second lowest form of devolution package in a hierarchy set out in the government’s 2022 Levelling Up white paper, which has since been extended up to Level 4.

Importantly a Level 2 deal does not require the introduction of a directly elected mayor or leader, and the county council can continue with its current structure.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting council leader Cllr Izzie Seccombe said: “To have got to the point where this paper is here has been about engaging with our districts and boroughs, our MPs, the combined authority [West Midlands Combined Authority], and our other strategic partners to achieve this.”