The Act enshrines in legislation some major changes to the constitution which could see local areas take over responsibility for an increasing number of services from national government – a goal pursued by local government for many years. But what exactly will that mean for central government?

Northern Powerhouse minister, James Wharton, is unsure. He successfully steered the Bill through Parliament, but he is keen to stress it is the beginning of the devolution process not the end. ‘What we are setting in place is a change in the way we do local government in this country and that’s very exciting,’ he says.