BY PAUL FAULKNER

LANCASHIRE’S proposed devolution deal has received overwhelming backing from the business community in the county, and broad support from the public.

It follows a two-month consultation into the agreement signed late last year between Lancashire’s three top-level councils and the government, which will finally see the county secure some new powers and additional cash from Whitehall, after more than seven years of stalled attempts.

Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with what was on the table across each of the eight key areas of the deal.

Support exceeded 50 per cent in every category, with the housing and land proposals receiving the lowest level of agreement and those for skills the most, at 64 per cent.

Almost 1,900 responses were received in total - a similar volume to consultations into deals in some other parts of the country.

The majority came from members of the public, while there were 186 from businesses - or groups representing them - and other stakeholders, including MPs and councillors.

There was significant support from businesses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told.

Speaking to the LDRS after the results were published, Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson said the overall feedback had “reinforced” what the authority – together with Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils – “intuitively thought was the right thing to do”.

The trio signed up to a so-called level 2 deal – out of a possible three – with the government back in November, subject to the now completed consultation and the necessary legislation passing through Parliament.

It will see Lancashire handed control of the adult education budget for the county, some strategic transport and compulsory purchase order powers and £20m for investment in “innovation” projects linked to carbon reduction schemes and the arrival of the National Cyber Force HQ in Samlesbury in 2025.

It drew criticism from some of Lancashire’s 12 district authorities for, as they claimed, lacking in ambition and failing to properly involve the second-tier councils in the process of drawing up the deal and in its eventual operation.

The agreement will now go back to the government, with some minor tweaks to reflect the consultation responses.

However, the fact that the document remains largely