City region’s 100-day plan to make devolution work

An ambitious 100-day plan to ensure Liverpool’s devolution deal makes an immediate and tangible impact on communities across the city region’s six borough’s has been launched.

The plan by Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority sets out more than 50 pledges and actions to be delivered over the next three months across a broad range of policy areas including transport, economic growth, skills, housing, the environment and infrastructure.

It brings together existing combined authority policy commitments, key elements of the City Region Devolution Deal plus major manifesto commitments from Rotheram.

Rotheram said: “Devolution is a massive opportunity for our city region and it is absolutely vital that we begin to grasp that opportunity and engender real momentum and energy into our programme.

“It’s clear from my early discussions with Government that devolution is the only show in town, and they see the new Mayoral Combined Authorities as the vehicles for delivering transformational change and rebalancing the UK economy.

“It is also very obvious that those who are able to move quickly, show delivery capacity and formulate well thought through asks will get priority consideration. Our 100-day plan is not simply a wish list. It is a coherent set of actions that align with our vision for the city region.”

The pledges have been grouped together under five themes that underpin the future vision for the city region – ambitious, fair, green, connected and together. Among the key actions outlined in the plan are:
·       Appointing an internationally respected industry expert to head-up the Special Purpose Vehicle to plan and deliver a Mersey Tidal Barrage.
·       Lord O’Neill undertook a rapid baseline review of economic strategy, informing a blueprint for future economic prosperity, including the ambition to become one of the world’s leading tech cities.
·       Creating a Fairness and Social Justice Advisory Board to ensure securing inclusive growth becomes a connecting thread across all aspects of policy, including a commitment to support the adoption of a Real Living Wage by public and sector employers across the region.
·       Delivering a skills revolution through a city region-wide commission to ensure people are equipped with the academic and technical skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.
·       Breaking down barriers for young people and apprentices to access work by progressing work on  a free travel scheme for apprentices across the city region.
·       Taking decisive steps towards the vision of a green and zero carbon city region through a major initiative to improve air quality, including the potential adoption of Clean Air Zones, and embracing a Local Journey Strategy to promote cycling, walking and sustainable transport.
·       Embracing a Housing First approach as the basis for a city region-wide strategy to tackle homelessness and street sleeping.
·       Delivering and campaigning for radically improved rail connectivity by commencing work on the Halton Curve to expand services to North Wales, and by continuing to present a robust case for a new Liverpool to Manchester connection as the first phase of Crossrail for the North/Northern Powerhouse Rail.