A combined authority (CA) is a legal body set up using national legislation that enables a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions. Their creation is an attempt to bring together several authorities who despite retaining individual status also work collectively as one combined body. The main purpose for establishing CAs is to improve the delivery of public services and other public functions across the area concerned.

Ten CAs have been established so far:

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 
• Greater Manchester
• Liverpool City Region 
• North of Tyne 
• South Yorkshire
• Tees Valley 
• West Midlands 
• West of England
• West Yorkshire
• North East.

The government published “trailblazer devolution deals” with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands on 15 March 2023 which promised “a simple outcomes based accountability framework”. This remains to be worked through in detail.

CAs can take advantage of powers and resources devolved to them from national government.

A new model of devolution is provided for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, with the proposed mayoral combined authorities for East Midlands and North East.

The creation of these new authorities and devolution of powers is a crucial element in making a success of the opportunities posed by the government’s levelling-up agenda.

In particular the proposed East Midlands CA will benefit from more than £1 billion investment fund over 30 years. It will aim to help increase employment, families, and schools in the area and improve transport, boost skills training and build more attractive and affordable homes.

To support this, powers will be granted to drive regeneration, enable use of compulsory purchase powers and the establishment of Mayoral Development Corporations.

Control of over £17 million of additional funding for the building of new homes on brownfield land in 2024/25, and a further £18 million has been agreed to support housing priorities and drive Net Zero Ambitions into the area.

This is in addition to the pivotal part it will play in the creation of a new Investment Zone in their area where government will offer £80m worth of spending and tax reliefs to drive business investment in the area.

The implementation of the new mayoral CA is dependent on parliamentary approval of the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill and necessary secondary legislation, as well as a public consultation. The aim is for the first mayoral election to take place in May 2024.

Local Government Forward View 2023

This article is part of Capsticks’ Local Government Forward View 2023. Read the other articles featured in this publication below:

• Investment Zones
  
• Building Safety Reforms
• Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill
• Online Safety Bill
• Environmental Impact Assessments
• Procurement Bill
• Industrial action
• The conflict between trans rights and religion or belief
• Public service pension scheme reform

How Capsticks can help

To discuss how this may affect your organisation, please get in touch with Suzanne Smith or Tiffany Cloynes.