Six new English areas will be given sweeping new powers, the government has said, as part of its Devolution Priority Programme.

The programme will support the areas to move towards devolution at pace, becoming mayor-led strategic authorities by May next year if they proceed. The areas are:

  • Cumbria
  • Cheshire & Warrington
  • Norfolk & Suffolk
  • Greater Essex
  • Sussex & Brighton
  • Hampshire & Solent.

According to the government, the measures bring another 8.8m people under mayoral devolution, bringing the total population who will see the benefit from devolution to over 44 million – close to 80% of the country.

The six successful areas will now work to an ambitious devolution timetable, with consultations set to launch shortly, the government says.

Legislation has also come into force to establish four new devolution institutions, as a result of devolution agreements confirmed by the deputy prime minister last year.

This includes establishing two new mayoral authorities in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire, and the formation of combined county authorities in Devon and Torbay, and Lancashire.

The government says it is also focused on fixing the foundations of local government, with simpler and more effective structures and a reduction in unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.

Through a national programme of ambitious local government reform, the government says it will cut waste and improve accountability, ensuring taxpayers get value for money from their services. To achieve this, all councils in two-tier areas and small neighbouring unitary authorities are now being formally invited to develop unitary proposals – which will bring together lower and upper tier local government services in new unitary councils.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said: “The truth is that for all the promises of levelling up, central government’s first instinct is all too often to hoard power and hold our economy back. Too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few.

“We promised to achieve a devolution revolution by overseeing the greatest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation, and today’s announcement will help raise living standards, improve public services and build the homes we so desperately need.

“By taking a common-sense approach to reorganisation, boosted by our reforms to give mayors a suite of vital new powers, we will make sure areas can truly deliver on our Plan for Change.”

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon said: “In December, we asked areas to come forward to be part of our Devolution Priority Programme. The response was clear—this country is ready for change.

“While devolution can be hard to understand sometimes, the aims of this programme are simple: it puts more money in people’s pockets,  leads to quicker, better, cheaper transport, designed with local people in mind and puts politics back in the service of working people.”