SOUTH Hampshire’s civic leaders have taken the next step on the road to creating a new authority to grab key powers for the South from Westminster.

The leaders of 12 councils in Hampshire have agreed that plans for a Solent Combined Authority should be looked at so the region has more control over areas such as transport spending and economic development.

They have put together a joint statement on the proposals, which were sparked last year after Chancellor George Osborne unveiled a landmark deal to give the Greater Manchester region a raft of new powers.

That deal will eventually see a “metro mayor” in charge of more than £2 billion of annual funding for projects, while it was also announced last week that the region would have control over NHS funds.

Not wanting to miss out on powers, leaders in the South such as Southampton City Council boss Simon Letts and Fareham Borough Council chief Sean Woodward met to discuss the plans, as revealed in the Daily Echo.

And now, at a meeting of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH), the 12 assembled council leaders agreed to put together a statement on their intentions.

The agreed statement reads: “The leaders agreed that a combined authority may be a way of achieving greater devolution to local communities and the local authorities will work together to develop options.

“A combined authority could deliver devolved power and funding from Whitehall on issues such as skills, transport and economic development.”

Council leaders have previously denied that the new authority would mean merging councils in south Hampshire.

They say that an extra tier of government consisting of all of the council chiefs would be formed to sit over existing councils, which would then have control over the new range of powers currently held by Government.

There are still many hurdles to be overcome before a Solent Combined Authority becomes a reality, including the boundaries for the new body.

Some say PUSH’s boundaries, running from the Waterside to Havant, would be the basis while others say that would cut some councils in half and have suggested a larger area including the whole of Hampshire and Bournemouth.

And the upcoming General Election means there may be a new approach to devolution by whichever party forms the next Government in May.

Cllr Letts has said the leaders want firm proposals to “sit on a minister’s desk” immediately after the election.

Cllr Woodward told the Daily Echo: “On the information before us at the moment we think a combined authority is an appropriate way forward, but we have got a lot of work to do to make sure it is the right option.”