Government publishes English Devolution White Paper

On Monday 16 December, the government published its English Devolution White Paper. The paper sets out the government’s ambitions for devolution and covers a wide range of policy areas. We are putting together a full briefing on the paper and in the meantime, you can find a summary of its key points below.

English Devolution White Paper

Devolution everywhere

The government will extend devolution to cover all of England and it will be embedded as the default in England’s constitution. The government will legislate to require devolution in areas that are reluctant to accept it.

Strategic Authorities

Combined Authorities will be renamed Strategic Authorities and there will be three levels of Strategic Authority.

New powers

The government will introduce a statutory devolution framework, which will set out in law the statutory functions, defined areas of competence, and governance arrangements for devolved institutions.

Mayors will have new powers in several areas including housing and strategic planning, economic development and regeneration and energy, environment and climate change. 

Housing and strategic planning

Spatial Development Strategies

• All areas must develop a Spatial Development Strategy. This will guide development for local authorities, and their Local Plans will need to broadly conform with it.
• If there is a deadlock approving the Strategy, the mayor has a casting vote and can also appeal to the Secretary of State for a decision.
• The government will legislate to enable it to intervene in areas where a Spatial Development Strategy has not been brought forward within the agreed timeframe.
• The government wants to achieve national coverage by the end of this Parliament.

Housing delivery

• Mayors will play an increasing role in housing delivery.
• Over time, the government will move towards full devolution of funding and delivery of affordable housing.
• In the short-term, Homes England’s accountability to Established Mayoral Combined Authorities will be increased, including giving Established Mayoral Combined Authorities the ability to steer and monitor Homes England’s progress, and to escalate any issues to ministers.
• In addition, Established Mayoral Combined Authorities will set the direction of any future affordable housing programme in their area, including shaping the tenure mix and identifying priority sites.
• All mayoral Strategic Authorities will be given control of grant funding for housing delivery and regeneration.
• Homes England will move to a more regional, place-based operating model to align with the devolution agenda.

Energy, environment and climate change

The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund will be devolved to all Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities over the course of this Parliament. It will be devolved to Liverpool City Region, the North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire by 2028 at the latest.

Next steps

We will be producing a full briefing on the white paper for members later this month and will seek member feedback through January and February. While this is not a consultation and does not ask for responses, we will share our position with the government, based on member feedback, in February.