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Greater Manchester Plates could soon be here, note the last bullet point. A meeting of AGMA is scheduled for 14 January.
Greater Manchester granted city region status
A groundbreaking agreement between the ten Greater Manchester local authorities and the government has been signed.
The deal means that Greater Manchester will have more powers and responsibilities devolved from central government - ensuring the region has much more of a say in its own destiny.
The agreement unites the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) behind one formal arrangement. The pilot has been the subject of extensive discussions since the Chancellor announced the Manchester City Region pilot as part of his April Budget.
The deal recognises the role of Greater Manchester as a key focus for national growth and in helping to create the conditions for national recovery in the aftermath of the recession.
Lord Peter Smith, chair of AGMA, and Phil Woolas MP, Minister of State at the Treasury and Minister for the North West, signed the agreement today (18 December).
It puts the seal on a number of public sector reform measures, combined with new powers and responsibilities. These include:
• The Manchester City Region has been named as the UK's fourth low carbon economic area (LCEA), the focus of which will be the built environment. Working with local, regional and national partner agencies, granting LCEA status will deliver benefits for Greater Manchester and the rest of the UK, through stimulating the wider supply chain, sharing learning and best practice with other regions.
• New statutory powers for the city region to be able to set its own skills policy, and new freedoms to determine priorities for adult apprenticeships. This will give the city region the freedom to identity the priorities for its economy and offer opportunities that can attract and motivate all those who live, work and do business in the city region to achieve their potential.
• A single allocation for the Manchester City Region for places in schools for further education for 16 to 19-year-olds (except for academies). This means that Greater Manchester will, as a region, determine the mix and number of places needed for schools and further education and control an annual budget worth hundreds of millions of pounds. It will also give the city region the freedom to determine the number of apprenticeships and where they should be based according to need.
• A greater say in how housing funding is spent, building on the agreement between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) signed last week. The Local Investment Agreement means that HCA and AGMA will agree future housing and regeneration priorities that bring together over £370 million of investment across Greater Manchester.
• A range of service delivery pilots throughout Greater Manchester which will focus upon the need to drive up skills, increase employment, support children in their earliest years, as well as new service delivery models to transform deprived neighbourhoods.
• A commitment to improve data sharing arrangements between public agencies and local authorities.
• More local influence over licensing of private landlords.
• A commitment to examine how the Manchester City Region can assume greater transport responsibilities and influence, comparable to the powers held by Transport for London.
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