Staffordshire County Council is among more than 30 organisations supporting a letter coordinated by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. Signatories include JCB, Michelin, Keele University, and the University of Staffordshire, all advocating for greater local influence over decisions and investment that can support jobs, growth, transport, and skills.
The letter emphasises that devolution must benefit the entire area, reaching communities across the city, towns, villages, and rural areas of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Devolution is described as the process of moving powers and funding from Westminster to local areas, enabling decisions to be made closer to the people they affect and allowing for more local control over government spending.
“"Devolution is moving forward across England, and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent must be able to compete on an equal footing with areas that already benefit from devolved powers and funding. This isn’t about structures or titles. For us, devolution must work for the whole of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The benefits of investment, economic growth and strategic decision-making must be felt across our city, towns, villages and rural communities alike. It’s great to see such strong support from across the area. We’re ready to work with Government to make sure devolution builds upon our existing strengths and delivers lasting benefits across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent."
The joint letter calls on the Government to collaborate with local partners to ensure Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent fully benefit from the next phase of devolution, with future arrangements reflecting the specific needs and priorities of its communities.
