HALTON has signed an historic £900 million devolution deal with Liverpool city region.

It follows extensive negotiation between the leader of Halton Council and the five council leaders of Merseyside with the Government.

Voters will now choose a directly elected Liverpool city region Mayor in 2017 who will take on a raft of new powers from Whitehall.

Responsibility for economic development, transport, housing and planning, employment and skills, innovation, energy and environment, culture and European funding will be transferred to the so-called ‘northern powerhouse’.

The deal, to be ratified by the six local authorities following special debates on Thursday, will give the region £30m a year for 30 years.

In an exclusive interview, Halton Council leader Cllr Rob Polhill has reassured residents in Runcorn and Widnes that they will not lose their independence or identity.

He said: “Nothing alters for Halton, nothing has changed.

“An elected Mayor for the Liverpool city region does not affect the sovereignty of Halton. It does not mean we will be taken over by Liverpool.

“We will still have our own Mayor. Postcodes will stay the same.

“It’s business as usual. It will not affect our boundaries.”

He said Halton has already received millions of pounds to help create jobs by working as a partner with Liverpool combined authority.

Having a say on how money is spent regionally rather than relying on decision makers in London, he said, will give councils much more control.

Cllr Polhill said: “National museums are free. I don’t see why we can’t push for free admission at Norton Priory and Catalyst.

“Devolution will give us powers from Whitehall we didn’t have before.

“It will give us a chance to dip into a cash pot for economic development and be in charge of our own transport.”

He is confident the iconic Mersey Gateway bridge will attract even more investment into Halton.

Cllr Polhill said: “We have built one of the biggest major projects in the country.

“We have always punched above our weight.

“We are a very strong partner with a loyal workforce.”

As he fears further government austerity cuts, he believes devolution could help to tackle tough challenges ahead.

By 2016, he said, Halton’s budget will have almost halved since 2010, losing £47m.

Cllr Polhill added: “Devolution could help us to keep our head above the water whilst being drowned by these cuts.”

Communities Minister Greg Clark and Treasury commercial secretary Jim O’Neill signed the agreement alongside leaders in Liverpool on Tuesday morning.

The combined authority, made up of Halton, St Helens, Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and Wirral, has become the fifth major northern city to be given new Whitehall powers.

Chancellor George Osborne said: “This is a historic day for the Liverpool city region and a historic day for the northern powerhouse.

“This revolutionary deal cements the area’s position as a gateway to the north and gives local people control over their own affairs for the first time.”