City Region sets course for further extensive local powers and funding

20 Aug 2026

Local leaders today considered major progress by the Glasgow City Region partnership and agreed next steps in securing further local funding and powers from the UK and Scottish Governments.

Recent wins for the local economy by the partnership of eight councils were set out in a new report, with the past twelve months seeing further funding, recognition and progress across major projects for the Region which now manages a portfolio of over £2 billion:

• £50 million funding announced for Health and Life Sciences, one of only three UK regions to be awarded through the UK Government Local Innovation Partnerships Fund
• Key City Deal funded projects moving to conclusion including Glasgow’s revamped George Square, and a new railway station at Barrhead in East Renfrewshire.
• Agreement on 3,000 additional Electric Vehicle charge points to be installed across the whole Region.
• New tax sites confirmed for the Region’s £190 million Investment Zone, which under the new arrangements will generate tens of millions of pounds of further income locally for re-investment into high-growth sectors
• Work progressed with local colleges and businesses to identify and address skills gaps and opportunities to futureproof roles in growing sectors and to understand how AI will affect the local job market. 
• Activities to shape a masterplan for the future of the River Clyde, Europe’s largest development opportunity, will run to a conclusion later this year.
• Glasgow was announced in late 2025 as one of a select few UK regions to benefit from support from the National Wealth Fund, with staff now embedded within the Region’s team.

In the period to date local companies have won over £186 million pounds worth of tier one City Deal contracts.   

Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader of Glasgow City Council said:

“We welcome signals from the new Prime Minister to accelerate further local-decision making.

For some time, Glasgow and its seven surrounding council areas have been pushing the UK and Scottish governments for a devolution settlement matching those already provided to our peers in Greater Manchester and West Midlands.

Our latest performance report shows how advanced we already are in regional working. The question now is not whether regional working can be established – it is more about what additional powers, flexibilities and resources are now required to allow us to deliver at even greater pace and scale, to support a stronger, better and fairer local economy for everyone.

Today we agreed plans for developing a proposal that is set to have a major impact on the way our local public services could operate.

Work involving all our councils and agencies will look closely at areas such as skills, our local transport system, housing, infrastructure, support for local businesses and key growing sectors, and activities to grow the economy.

It will consider how these are working currently and how they could better deliver in the context of our specific local needs and priorities - and of course aligning to government policy and reform agendas.

Vitally, all of this will be underpinned by a focus on economic growth for a purpose to ensure our recommendations are driving a healthier and wealthier place for all our people.”

The Cabinet of eight leaders agreed on the plans to develop a detailed proposal which will form the basis of negotiations with the UK and Scottish Governments around the Region’s Devolution package.

The proposal will be shaped by a taskforce from across the eight member councils, key government agencies, the third sector, industry and the team at Glasgow City Region.

It will cover a number of themes, including transport, housing, infrastructure, skills, economic development, investment, governance, finance and legislative considerations.

Key principles agreed included the need to develop a specifically Scottish model of regional empowerment that supports devolution from national government to the regional level, respects the statutory role of local authorities, strengthens accountability and enables more coherent delivery across the economic geography of Glasgow City Region.

It was emphasised that the Region’s proposition will be framed not simply as a request for additional powers, but as a practical contribution to the reform agenda of both governments: strengthening growth, improving public service outcomes, supporting prevention, unlocking investment, simplifying delivery arrangements and ensuring that accountability, funding and delivery responsibility are better aligned.

A distinct Poverty, Health and Inclusion workstream will also play a critical role in ensuring that inclusive economy principles are embedded throughout the emerging and final devolution proposition. The group will develop local policy objectives in relation to poverty, health, and inclusion. And additionally, it will act as a golden thread across the wider programme of work, to ensure that proposed powers, investments and governance arrangements contribute positively to reducing poverty and improving outcomes for people and communities across the Region.

Today’s meeting was the final Cabinet chaired by Susan Aitken who has led the partnership for over ten years, overseeing the push towards further local devolved powers, successful delivery of the £1.13 billion City Deal and major funding awards for the Region including the £190 million Investment Zone and the £50 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

Continued Susan Aitken:

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to deliver over the last decade with City Deal funding, but we need to be clear that that momentum will be lost without a commitment to give Glasgow City Region the powers and investment that we’ve seen in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

This proposal me and my seven colleagues in Cabinet have agreed on today provides a template that fits into our existing Scottish context of devolution, and we look forward to working with both our governments to implement the next phase of our devolution journey.”