Council leaders of Wessex Partnership issue joint statement on devolution

Joint statement from council leaders Cllr Ian Thorn (Wiltshire), Cllr Bill Revans (Somerset), Cllr Nick Ireland (Dorset) and Cllr Millie Earl (BCP):

“The Wessex Partnership welcomes the government's recognition of our preferred geography. This reflects the strong and productive collaboration already happening between the four Wessex councils - Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP).

“We continue to work closely across our five shared workstreams - planning, economy, transport, environment and public safety - to deliver coordinated benefits for our communities and support the long‑term success of the region.

“We are prepared to establish a Strategic Planning Board as soon as possible to lead the development of a Wessex Spatial Development Strategy. This will provide a coherent, sustainable approach to future growth, infrastructure planning and environmental priorities.

“We welcome the clarity provided by the recent Written Ministerial Statement setting out the government's intentions regarding Foundation Strategic Authorities. We will be considering what this means for the Wessex Partnership and will confirm our proposed approach in due course.

“Given the end of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which leaves councils without access to dedicated growth funding, we urge the government to set out what growth and capacity funding will be available to FSAs.

“Wessex is uniquely well placed to move at pace, with all four councils having recently undergone local government reorganisation. We are confident and ambitious in what devolution can enable us to achieve.”