Slough council is open to forming a new authority under elected mayor

Slough Council has expressed an interest in starting discussions with the Government about devolution – putting the local authority ‘front of the queue’.

Devolution is where central Government passes certain powers down to a regional level.

At the moment, there are discussions ongoing about whether Slough and other local authorities nearby should agree to form a new combined authority under an elected mayor.

This ‘strategic authority’ would take on some powers currently held by councils – and unlock access to extra Government funding.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which seeks to add more such devolved areas across England, is currently going through Parliament.

Leaders from Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Swindon local authorities have been meeting regularly and discussing a joint devolution plan.

At a Slough full council meeting on Thursday (November 27), councillors unanimously agreed to put forward an expression of interest in possibly having an elected mayor. This is not legally binding.

Councillor Dexter Smith (Con, Colnbrook and Poyle), the leader of the council, said that if Slough and other local authorities in the region agree to a combined authority, mayoral elections for Thames Valley could take place in May 2027.

Cllr Smith added that he had ‘some scepticism’ around what having an elected mayor would mean for Slough – but that he realised this change would be beneficial for residents.

Agreeing, Cllr Fiza Matloob (Lab, Baylis and Salt Hill) said that political interests should be put aside and the council should do what would be best in the interest of Slough’s residents.

Cllr Mark Instone (Lab, Langley Foxborough) said: “I was very much in favour of this right from the outset, and the reason for this is quite clear. We’re not ahead of the curve in seeking to be part of this [devolution plan].

“Already, there are large areas of England that have strategic authorities. If we don’t make this happen and we don’t support this, we risk being left behind, we risk the people and businesses of Slough being left behind.”

Cllr Instone said that including Swindon as part of the new mayoral strategic authority is a ‘no-brainer’, creating a balance between rural and urban areas in the Thames Valley.

Other councillors also saw the benefits that could come from becoming a mayoral strategic authority.

Cllr Gurcharan Manku (Con, Langley St Mary’s) said: “[It] represents a significant opportunity for regions in England to drive [forward] prosperity for communities and businesses.

“This expression of interest gives us an opportunity to start further discussions with the Government around devolution, to drive significant economic and social benefits [forward].

“It puts us in front of the queue for consideration [by the Government] to be a strategic authority.”

He added that becoming a devolved authority will mean gaining ‘enhanced powers’ and more financial resources.

Cllr Robert Anderson (Lab, Britwell) said: “[This Thames Valley devolution plan] should be as big and as wide-ranging as possible to make sure that we can compete, not just on the national but on the international stage as a direct investment hub to bring things in.”