Business leaders in Birmingham are crying out for , according to a new survey.
New research published by claims business owners want to see local government powers boosted in transport, housing and taxes
In a survey of 127 city business leaders found 68 per cent said their firm would benefit from local leaders having more powers over transport and housing in the city, while 58 per cent said they supported the idea of local government taking greater control over local authority budgets.
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More than half of respondents said they would welcome local politicians being able to retain and vary local tax rates, to unlock investment in the local economy.
This comes ahead of a major announcement expected from the Chancellor on a for the .
Alexandra Jones, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “We often hear that the private sector is sceptical about the benefits that devolution would bring but this report shows that businesses leaders in Birmingham believe that it could offer them real opportunities in the years to come.
“Through our survey and consultations with local firms, it’s clear that there is real appetite among the business community in Birmingham for local leaders to have greater control over the issues that matter most to the city’s economy, such as transport, housing and local taxes.”
Nearly half of respondents also said that having a more powerful combined authority and a directly elected mayor in Birmingham would be a positive development for local businesses, compared to just 10 per cent who were not in favour.
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However, the research also suggests that local business leaders would like to have more opportunities to shape the local devolution agenda – with 60 per cent saying that they have not had the chance to voice their views on the city-region’s bid to secure a devolution deal.
The research was in association with 海角视频 law firm TLT and conducted by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.
Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the chamber, said: “Birmingham and the West Midlands have often lost out on major investment through a lack of joined up thinking and we are urging rapid progress on the creation of a Combined Authority. The West Midlands has a bigger economic output than many European countries and needs a political system to reflect this. Business doesn’t recognise political boundaries.
“The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is strongly supportive of the creation of a combined authority across the key local authorities in the West Midlands conurbation, along with a wider set of devolved political powers. In Greater Manchester, a deeper level of cooperation among local authorities led to greater investment; projects such as the Northern Hub attracted large-scale Treasury investment.”