Thames Valley Secures Devolution Deal Support

Thames Valley leaders have agreed a devolution plan that could bring "billions of pounds of investment" as a government funding deadline expired.

Monday, October 26 was the cut-off for Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon councils to back a deal and secure funding ahead of the budget.

For almost two years councils have been working on a proposal for a devolved body with powers like the mayors of London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. A letter has now been submitted and central government must decide whether to approve and fund it.

Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown (Labour) said: "I am really pleased that we have finally submitted a letter to give support for a Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority."

She said, if approved, the plan would be "enormously beneficial" for the region, allowing for "inward investment that is needed", adding "it's been a long time coming".

This summer the Liberal Democrat leaders of Oxfordshire County Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead withdrew support, wanting Swindon excluded and for the authority to have a mayor straight away. At the time, the government had said the Thames Valley would not be considered for an authority with an immediately directly elected mayor. Following a change in government, leaders are hoping a mayoral authority is back on the table. Swindon remains included, and Buckinghamshire could still join.

Sources say a Lib Dem meeting took place on Sunday, October 25 to decide if their leader Tim Bearder would back the plan and remove his veto. A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: "Leaders across the Thames Valley have written today to government to show their continued support for a Mayoral Strategic Authority for the region. We are now waiting for the government's response."

The county council and Tim Bearder have refused to answer questions about why the Lib Dems deliberated the day before the cut-off and what the decision-making process was for the devolution deal.

When Mr Bearder opposed the deal earlier, Oxford City Council and other Labour-run authorities including Reading, and Conservative-run Swindon, expressed deep disappointment. Lib Dem leaders in Cherwell and West Oxfordshire have said they remain in favour of devolution with a foundation strategic authority.

The city council said the "devolution deal that would have brought billions of pounds of investment to the Thames Valley".

Isabella Harris, Local Democracy Reporter