The West of England’s devolution deal was rubber stamped last night after months of discussion by local leaders.
The agreement unlocks around £1bn in investment in housing, transport and skills. Most people would regard these as important issues that should be locally controlled.
Despite this and the welcome statements that will follow, last night’s response to the news seemed muted.
Councillors in Bristol expressed concerns that the 2,000 responses the recent consultation generated should have been much higher.
The Bristol Post reported these concerns alongside the question: does anyone care?