The Government should equip the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the four emerging ‘super councils' with the full range of devolved economic powers currently only enjoyed by London, experts have advised this week.

A report published today by the Centre for Cities think-tank argues working beyond the constraints of local government geography is essential to future prosperity.

Entitled ‘Breaking boundaries: working together for economic growth', the study argues improving transport, skills or housing within just one council area is unlikely to be enough to deliver results for local economies.

With local government budgets set to continue decreasing until the end of the decade, the report authors suggest ‘going alone' would not be an effective use of limited money.

Instead, the paper argues councils can do more to support local businesses and residents through collaboration on issues that improve the performance of local economies – transport, skills, housing and planning - than they could on their own.

However, to be truly effective, councils moving to new forms of local governance, such as combined authorities, or directly-elected mayors, must have the powers, currently only vested in the London Mayor and the Greater London Authority, to make big decisions on economic growth.

The report recommended combined authorities should have powers to: