Combined Authority deal leaps forward as Coventry and Solihull join Black Country and Birmingham
Moves to create a West Midlands Combined Authority joining Birmingham with the Black Country have been boosted after Coventry's councillors and Solihull's leader said they would sign up too.
It means the combined authority would be the largest in the country and the only one to have three cities - Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.
Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley are all signed up too.
Sandwell Council's leader Darren Cooper, who has been leading the Black Country's negotiations on the deal, said it would also put to bed any suggestion of the authority being called Greater Birmingham.
He said: "With three cities there's no way anyone would now accept it being a Greater Birmingham.
"What this gives us is fantastic bargaining power. We are much stronger together and we can pool our resources to get the best possible deal from the government.
"Greater Manchester has taken the lead already. We can't afford to be left behind."
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) said the agreement by Coventry's Labour controlling group was 'a brave and historic step'.
It is expected that Solihull will also join the authority after its leader Bob Sleigh indicated his support while an approach has been made to district councils in Warwickshire.
Greg Lowson, president of Birmingham Chamber, said: "This is an important milestone in the history of the West Midlands.
"Businesses in the region will fully support this move, not least because the Chancellor has made it abundantly clear that only combined authorities will be given increased powers, including those relating to economic development, transport and skills.
"Already a combined West Midlands authority feels like a real Powerhouse with involvement from the Black Country and Coventry and we now urge Solihull to follow suit.
"The business community is ready to throw its weight behind the hard work that must be started immediately to drive ahead to create a combined authority and to look seriously at the issue of an elected mayor.
"Birmingham's electorate rejected the idea of an elected mayor for the city alone, as Manchester did, but a mayor could unlock even more resources for a combined authority.
"We congratulate all of the authorities for taking such swift action on this in the wake of the General Election and we are sure it will go down as a brave and historic step."
