PEOPLE living in South Gloucestershire are to have a say in how millions of pounds worth of investment is spent.

The West of England will benefit from a £30million boost in investment through the region’s devolution deal, it was confirmed by Local Growth Minister Andrew Percy today.

It will be the first payment out of a total of £900million due over the next 30 years.

The funding has been made available as part of the devolution deal signed a year ago.

How it is to be spent will be a decision entirely for people living in South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North East Somerset and Bath through the new West of England Combined Authority.

Mr Percy said: “The people of the West of England came up with an ambitious devolution deal which puts them back in charge of decisions that matter to them.

“This £30 million government investment into the region is proof that we will equip them with the funding they need to get the West of England firing on all cylinders.

“It will help build an economy that works for everyone.

“With powers over transport, skills and regeneration all coming back into the hands of local people, now is the chance to head to the polls in May and vote for a powerful new Mayor to put them into practice.”

The new devolution deal means the area will receive:

  • A devolved transport budget and transport powers to help provide a more modern, better-connected network
  • New planning and housing powers to manage planning across the region
  • New functions over skills and in particular, responsibility for the adult education budget in the area
  • Control over an investment fund of £30 million a year for 30 years

The election in the West of England is one of six across the country on 4 May.

It means decisions that have previously been made in Westminster will now be made in the areas they affect most.