HEREFORDSHIRE Council is looking to join a group which is working to get more powers handed down from the government to local authorities.

The county council is exploring the possibility of becoming a non-constituent member of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) group.

The WMCA is a group of twelve local authorities and three Local Enterprise Partnerships working together to devolve powers for economic development from the government to the West Midlands.

Leader of Herefordshire Council, Tony Johnson, said: "I am keen to explore what benefits could be gained for Herefordshire by joining a devolved group.

"The discussions with the West Midlands Combined Authority group are only exploratory and a decision to join the group would need to be considered and approved by Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet."

The council has previously submitted an expression of interest in having freedoms and flexibilities devolved to it by government.

The WMCA came into force on Friday, June 17 after signing an outline devolution deal with government last year.

In the scheme sent to government only constituent members have voting rights.

However, constituent members can give voting rights to non-constituent members, for example, allowing them to vote on matters to do with economic development.

Combined authorities are legal bodies with powers of decision making granted by parliament.

They are a new way for local authorities to work together on key strategic functions that cross geographic council boundaries and which could be more effectively delivered together rather than separately.