Birmingham and the Black Country could fall behind other regions without a combined authority, a council leader has warned.

Sandwell MBC leader Darren Cooper made his comments as the House of Lords this week approved the creation of combined authorities in Merseyside, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire from Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Wolverhampton City Council leader Cllr Roger Lawrence told MPs that a combined authority for the West Midlands could be created within three years.

Cllr Lawrence said: ‘There is a case for a West Midlands combined authority.' However, as in Merseyside, where there have been rows about what it should be called, there are already disagreements over the potential name.

Parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Baroness Stowell of Beeston, said: ‘We certainly hope that more of the combined authorities will come forward.'

Local authorities in the North East may not launch at the same time as the other three ‘due to delay in obtaining consent from all councils', a DCLG spokeswoman said.

But the councils are understood to be working to be ready to launch their combined authority as soon as Parliament has approved the move, which is expected to happen in the ‘very near future'.