Pendle wants more clarity on radical plans for a combined authority and directly elected mayor

Pendle’s councillors are seeking clear information about the impact of the creation of a Lancashire Combined Authority with a directly elected mayor.
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At Friday's extraordinary full council meeting councillors agreed that because of a lack of clarity they will not proceed with the proposals at this stage.

A Labour and Lib Dem coalition motion was passed at the meeting and a Conservative amendment failed.

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The council's Conservative group said it welcomed the potential extra investment and integrated strategy for the region that it believed would likely follow from the creation of a combined authority, with or without a directly elected mayor.

Nelson Town HallNelson Town Hall
Nelson Town Hall

However, the Tories also said they supported waiting until the anticipated Government White Paper on English Devolution and the potential improved governance arrangements to be put forward by the Local Government Association.

Pendle's Liberal Democrat group has already expressed its opposition to the plans, fearing the area would lose influence with decisions being made by people elsewhere in Lancashire.

Labour Coun. Mohammed Iqbal, leader of Pendle Council, said: “The aim of a Combined Authority for Lancashire is to bring councils together to improve the county’s economy and address issues such as planning, housing and skills.

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“It’s something we’ve been discussing for a number of years but the Government has now made it clear it expects a combined authority with an elected mayor, giving a single point of accountability.

“We need clearer information on the devolution deal for Lancashire and how local government could be reorganised if a combined authority with an elected mayor was to go ahead.”

Lib Dem Coun. David Whipp, deputy leader, added: “An elected mayor would be unaccountable to residents in Pendle, with a combined authority hoovering up power away from local residents.

“The consequential creation of sprawling unitary councils would lead to residents having no hope of local control over issues affecting them.”

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Pendle Council will write to the Government after the publication of the White paper on English devolution, which is expected in autumn, and once any proposed models for reorganisation have been developed.

Coun. Iqbal added: “Once all of the facts are established we will reconsider the options at a future meeting but our commitment remains with Pendle residents and we will fight for them.”

Tory leader Coun. Nadeem Ahmed commented: “We couldn’t agree to their motion, which essentially proposed the same outcome of waiting and seeing before looking at the deal on the table because it contained inaccuracies we couldn’t support.

"The first error was that it stated that MP Andrew Stephenson’s position as supportive of a combined authority with elected mayor, which is not correct. The second inaccuracy was the insistence that Pendle Council will be abolished. The truth is, we just don’t know. I pointed this out to them in vain.”