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| Combined Authority (England) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Combined authorities |
| Caption | Map of combined authorities in England |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Jurisdiction | England |
Combined Authority (England)
Combined authorities are statutory sub-national bodies created by Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, later amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 and Local Government Act 1972 provisions, to enable strategic decision-making across contiguous county and district areas. They aggregate functions devolved from Her Majesty's Government and HM Treasury and interact with institutions such as Greater London Authority, Transport for London, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Combined authorities often establish directly elected executive leaders linked to national initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine.
Combined authorities derive from the legislative framework established by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, which built on prior statutory instruments and reports such as the Barker Review and the Heseltine Review. Further statutory amendments appeared in the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, influenced by policy documents from No. 10 Downing Street, HM Treasury spending reviews, and white papers like the Local Growth White Paper. Judicial considerations have involved the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and Court of Appeal (England and Wales) judgments concerning statutory interpretation and local consent. Devolution deals negotiated with Cabinet Office ministers sit alongside regulatory frameworks administered by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Membership typically comprises leaders or elected mayors from constituent county councils, unitary authoritys, and metropolitan boroughs, and may include representatives from Local Enterprise Partnerships and business groups such as the Confederation of British Industry and Federation of Small Businesses. Some combined authorities adopt a mayoral model with directly elected mayors similar to the Mayor of Greater Manchester or Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, while others use a cabinet-style collective of council leaders akin to the Local Government Association practices. Governance structures reference corporate governance standards used by bodies like Audit Commission successors and are subject to scrutiny by Local Government Ombudsman and committee systems modeled after Select Committee procedures in Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Powers commonly devolved include strategic transport responsibilities comparable to Transport for Greater Manchester, housing and planning powers influenced by the National Planning Policy Framework, skills and employment funding aligned with Department for Education apprenticeship strategies, and economic development functions linked to British Business Bank initiatives. Fiscal powers can encompassBusiness Rates Retention arrangements and borrowing powers regulated by Public Works Loan Board. Authorities may oversee public transport franchising, spatial planning frameworks, land assembly instruments similar to Compulsory Purchase Order mechanisms, and adult skills commissions aligned with Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education frameworks.
Formation follows statutory procedures set out by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and subsequent orders from Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Proposals often trace to strategic plans from combined authority shadow boards, devolution deal negotiations with central ministers, and input from civic partners such as Transport for the North or Westminster City Council-adjacent bodies. Reform episodes occurred after reports by the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee and the National Audit Office, and through agreements signed in Devolution Deal ceremonies often attended by the Prime Minister or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Financial settlements include multi-year investment funds from HM Treasury and locally controlled allocations via Local Growth Fund and retained business rates schemes. Capital programmes are supported by borrowing under Public Works Loan Board rules and by project finance involving European Investment Bank legacy projects and private sector partners like Urban Regeneration Companies. Revenue streams may also include transport fares, enterprise zone receipts under Enterprise Zone policy, and contributions from Local Enterprise Partnership-led projects. Accountability is exercised through annual statements to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs reporting mechanisms and audit by bodies such as National Audit Office and appointed external auditors.
Combined authorities operate in partnership with constituent county councils, district councils, and national departments including the Department for Transport, Department for Education, and Department for Work and Pensions. They coordinate with regional bodies such as Transport for the North, interact with national funding mechanisms like the Shared Prosperity Fund, and participate in cross-border initiatives alongside Welsh Government or Scottish Government counterparts where relevant. Tensions have emerged in intergovernmental relations involving central control via Secretary of State directions and local accountability through elected mayors and council scrutiny committees.
Regions with combined authorities include the North East Combined Authority area components such as Durham County Council and Sunderland City Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with partners including Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and Trafford Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority encompassing Birmingham City Council and Coventry City Council, and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority comprising Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Sefton Council. Case studies include the Tees Valley Combined Authority's use of the Teesworks development, Sheffield City Region deals with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's innovation zones linked to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and university spin-outs. Each example illustrates interactions with bodies such as Homes England, Highways England, and regional growth partnerships.