Lancaster City Council will decide whether it wants to join forces with other local authorities to create a Lancashire Combined Authority at a council meeting on Wednesday December 16.
Councillors will be asked to note the progress made so far and decide on whether they want to agree in principle to the Combined Authority and take part in a public consultation early in the New Year.
Coun Eileen Blamire, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “Councils in Lancashire have been of the view for some time that we need to decide if we are able to take advantage of the opportunity to receive extra powers and funding from Central Government particularly in terms of the economy, skills, transport and housing.
“In any case a Combined Authority provides the opportunity for the city council to extend its influence on matters including transport and on how funds are allocated by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).”
A combined authority is a legal body that means councils across a designated area, in this case Lancashire, can work together better and be more accountable to residents.
Individual councils would continue to exist, and retain their individual powers, but would work more closely together in a more structured way on the matters that affect the local economy.
If agreement is reached a formal consultation would start in January.
• For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/combined-authority