Core urban areas are important for wider city region revenues. This has implications for further fiscal devolution.
Understanding how patterns of economic performance in combined authorities translate into tax revenues is becoming increasingly important. The devolution of business rates already raises questions about how to deal with combined authorities within the national system, and by extension how to deal with revenues generated in individual authorities within combined authorities. And with new metro mayors coming in 2017 and appetite for fiscal devolution growing, it will be important to know more about the patterns and dynamics of city region revenues to develop proposals that work for different places.
Following on from my previous blog, which looked at the levels and patterns of taxes raised in combined authorities over the past decade, this blog digs a little deeper to look at what has happened at local authority level within three combined authorities that are set to receive new powers through their Devolution Deals: Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the North East.
In Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire the lion’s share of economy-led taxes were generated in Manchester (30 per cent of the combined authority total) and Leeds (44 per cent of the total) local authorities last year. In the North East, Durham and Newcastle local authorities play a fairly equal role in terms of generating taxes within the combined authority (both contribute 22 per cent of the total amount raised in the area).
In Greater Manchester, the relative share of revenues generated in Manchester local authority has grown over the decade – from generating 27 to 30 per cent of all taxes. Interestingly in the North East and West Yorkshire, the relative contribution of different authorities has not changed as much over time. In the North East, Newcastle and Durham local authorities generating just over a fifth of the total economy taxes generated in the combined authority area both ten years ago and today. In West Yorkshire, Leeds generated 43 per cent of all economy taxes in 2004/05 and generated 44 per cent today.
Part of the explanation about the change in relative levels of taxes generated in the different combined authorities lies in the performance of the local authority tax base in cash terms. In Greater Manchester, Manchester local authority, alongside Salford and Bury, was one of only three to generate more economy taxes today than a decade ago. Both the positive performance of Manchester (and Salford and Bury) and the relative decline of others help explain the more prominent role of Manchester in GM’s tax base.
Meanwhile, in the North East all local authorities have grown in real terms over the decade, while in West Yorkshire all local authorities are now generating less than they were ten years ago – which has led to an unchanged relative position between individual authorities over time.
The data shows the increasing attractiveness of central urban areas for people to work, and spend their wages in shops and bars nearby (all which generated tax receipts in the form of income tax, NICs and VAT). But while a high number of tax generating jobs, businesses and shops are located within one or two urban centres, we know that people who work and spend their money there live and consume public services more widely in the city region. These linkages are the fundamental rationale for delivering policy such as transport and housing at combined authority level. They should also inform any proposals for further fiscal devolution – such as arrangements to pool and manage tax revenues across multiple authorities in a combined authority.
Leave a comment
Be the first to add a comment.