Cheshire East Tories don’t want Warrington in possible devolution deal

Peter Skates, the council’s acting director of place, said devolution could provide significant financial benefit and increase power and control to the sub region of Cheshire and Warrington.

He told Cheshire East’s corporate policy committee today (Thursday): “It is therefore timely and important for Cheshire East, alongside its partner local authorities of Warrington and Cheshire West, to engage proactively with a new government to understand any potential offer and opportunity.”

But Conservative councillors were not so keen at the prospect of joining up with Warrington.

Sutton councillor Chris O’Leary (Con) said: “Warrington Borough Council has a debt of £1.85bn.

“I will not be supporting a devolution deal that includes Warrington.

“I think it would be utter madness for this council to go into such a deal, because it will just syphon off the resources into Warrington.”

Cllr Janet Clowes (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Conservative group leader Janet Clowes said she was not opposed to devolution and thought it had a lot to offer Cheshire East.

But she told the meeting: “In light of what we've just heard, absolutely we should be considering leaving Warrington out.”

The Wybunbury councillor said Warrington has not been part of Cheshire ‘for many, many decades’.

She added: “Certainly, there are a great many residents out there who would welcome a reunification of Cheshire, as in Cheshire West and Cheshire East.”

But Labour and Independent councillors said speaking to government didn’t commit the council to anything.

Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion (Lab) said: “I'd urge you to accept this recommendation, because all it's asking us to do is to sit down and hear what government's got to say.”

Cllr Sam Corcoran (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) said: “We've got very close working between Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Warrington, which we've established over many years.”

He said there was no risk of Cheshire East’s funding being ‘syphoned off’.

“The idea is that the devolved authority would sit above the three authorities,” said Cllr Corcoran.

“It would not be taking funding from any of the individual councils to pass on to another council.”

Cllr Mark Goldsmith (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Wilmslow councillor Mark Goldsmith (Ind) said he shared a lot of the concerns raised by the Conservatives but added: “We won't know if those concerns are valid or not, unless we talk to the government.”

He said they didn’t know if the government would allow them to just have a deal with Cheshire West & Chester.

“We just have to find out what the deal would be and whether that's acceptable to us,” he said.

Cllr Jill Rhodes (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Crewe councillor Jill Rhodes (Lab) said: “For me, devolution will give Cheshire East Council and its residents more say in what happens locally, particularly around transport development and connectivity.”

“It would allow better routes and cheap fares on buses for our residents.

“It could give the council a voice in decisions around new rail links, and we have long talked about opening the Mid Cheshire line and the benefits that would bring the residents of Cheshire East.”

She added: “The devolved funding would allow more development of regional group growth and support new businesses, and it would also help us have more say in new roads and funding for existing roads.”

Seven councillors voted in favour of the council holding talks with government about devolution options, four voted against and one abstained.

Any final offer of a proposal from government will be reported back to the committee.