A Humber devolution deal that would have brought millions of pounds of funding to the area has been declared “dead” in the water - but not all hope has been lost for its champions.
Hull and East Riding councils have long been pushing for a devolution deal that would have united them with North and North East Lincolnshire, with the hope that their collective bargaining power would bring millions of pounds of government funding into the region.
The move was backed with an impassioned plea by the Humber LEP chairman Lord Haskins, with Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce also advocating the estuary economy model.
However, the plans never enjoyed the support of south bank politicians, who have harboured fears that the interests of Grimsby and Scunthorpe would be swallowed up by their more powerful north bank neighbours in ways reminiscent of Humberside County Council.
The opposing agenda of the rival councils came to the fore in a meeting with housing minister Simon Clarke on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Rishi Sunak delivered a budget that signed off a devolution deal for West Yorkshire and re-emphasised the government’s own appetite for devolved funding arrangements.
While the Humber deal was declared “dead”, other options have been put on the table for the councils, including a development corporation that would unite the four councils for economic purposes.
There are also now calls for a combined North and North East Lincolnshire authority to be led by a new mayor.
It is understood that Hull and East Riding were told they may be able to unite together for political reasons to form what would admittedly be a small devolution package covering about 600,000 people - comparable to the Tees Valley combined authority of 670,000 people.
Most Read
This deal could be agreed later this year and implemented next year, it is understood.
Martin Vickers, the MP for Cleethorpes who has led the charge against the Humber deal, backed by Grimsby MP Lia Nici and Scunthorpe’s new representative Holly Mumby-Croft, said: “The devolution meeting finally recognised that the Humber deal was dead.
“The minister said it could not be delivered because the South Bank and the North Bank have a different agenda. North and North East Lincolnshire councils have been working on evidence-based benefits they can glean from a Lincolnshire deal.
“I’m very happy with this outcome.”
He added: “The simple fact is that local people in the South Bank would not accept what they see as a recreation of county Humberside.
“The politics did not stack up, the government has accepted the reality and I’m pleased to say there will now be a Lincolnshire deal that will be beneficial to Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe.”
Mr Vickers said a development corporation was “something for future discussion”.
Don’t miss
“I want to know more about the structure and accountability but I agree with it in principle, yes,” he said.
“I recognise there needs to be co-operation, so if that facilitates it that could be an option.
“It is possible to separate political interests from economic interests.”
On the North Bank, devolution advocate and Hull MP Diana Johnson said the Humber risked being “left behind”.
“We now need a new way for the Humber area to meet our potential in areas such as green energy and freeports.
“With the options of Yorkshire-wide devolution deal and a Humberside Combined Authority both now dead, we must move quickly to two mayoral combined authorities on the North and South Bank of the Humber.
“This then enables a development corporation to be set up with real clout, working across the distinct economic area of the Humber and along the lines of the one that kick-started the transformation of London Docklands from the 1980s.
“We need to get Humber Docklands done if we’re going to narrow the investment gap with London and the South East.”