Combined authority bosses say they still want to make the M6 Toll road free despite a knock-back in the devolution deal.

The seven West Midlands regional council leaders went to the negotiating table with a £15 million bid to buy free access to the 26-mile road.

But no agreement could be reached in time for the West Midlands Combined Authority devolution deal signed with Chancellor George Osborne this week.

Transport and council leaders in the region have long campaigned for the toll to be lifted as they believe it would take through traffic away from the M6 - one of the most heavily congested stretches of motorway in the country.

The Post understands the Government is keen to look at the idea in consultation with toll road operator Midlands Expressway.

With tram and rail lines expected to take up to a decade to deliver while increasing disruption during construction, the M6 Toll would provide a short-term solution to traffic congestion.

Indeed, it was originally designed as the Birmingham north relief road - but many would rather sit in queues through Spaghetti Junction than pay the £5.50 a time charge.

The M6 Toll is used by just over 50,000 vehicles a day while an estimated 200,000 pass through Spaghetti Junction on the M6.

Birmingham's Conservative leader Robert Alden said: "It's crazy to have a motorway sitting there underused while, particularly during the recent roadworks, we have had the M6 at a standstill.

"Realistically with the charge we are not going to get the through traffic going from London to the north off the motorway and onto the toll road. I know the haulage firms would welcome this."

A spokeswoman for the combined authority said they did not expect everything in their initial devolution pitch to government to be agreed but added there would be ongoing talks.

She said: "The initial submission was never going to be the final agreement but showed our ambition and big thinking for the region.

"Congestion is clearly an important concern for the combined authority and our regional businesses.

"What we have now is a commitment from government to work with the combined authority to consider options for reducing congestion and the door is open for wide ranging discussions."

The devolution statement sets out proposals for a congestion commission to look, along with Highways England and other transport agencies, at solutions to the region's traffic problems.

It states: "This will include consideration of options for reducing congestion, such as a joined up approach to dynamic demand management and implementing an integrated intelligent transport system which will help improve journey time reliability and allow people and businesses to make informed decisions about their travel choices."