The Devolution Priority Programme was announced by the UK government in 2025 in line with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The areas included within the programme will have certain devolved functions transferred to them from central government via the establishment of new combined authorities (CAs) or combined county authorities (CCAs).
History
editIn February 2025 six areas were announced for the programme.[1] In December 2025, mayoral elections were delayed from 2026 to 2028 in four of the priority programme areas.[2]
Summary
editAs of 6 June 2026[update], the status of the programe is as follows:
| Authority | Status | Constituent councils | LGR | S.I. | Created | First election | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire and Warrington CA | Formally established, awaiting mayoral powers | None | Made | 24 February 2026 | 2027 | [3][4][5] | |
| Cumbria CA | Formally established, awaiting mayoral powers | None | Made | 24 February 2026 | 2027 | [3][6][7] | |
| Greater Essex CCA | Not yet formally established | Yes | Expected 2026 | Expected 2028 | [2] | ||
| Hampshire and the Solent CCA | Formally established, awaiting mayoral powers | Yes | Made | 4 June 2026 | 2028 | [2][8] | |
| Norfolk and Suffolk CCA | Not yet formally established | Yes | Expected 2026 | Expected 2028 | [2] | ||
| Sussex and Brighton CCA | Formally established, awaiting mayoral powers | Yes | Made | 26 March 2026 | 2028 | [2][9] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ MacMakon, Jim; Rayner, Angela. "Devolution revolution: six areas to elect Mayors for first time". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e McKiernan, Jennifer (4 December 2025). "New mayoral elections to be delayed in four areas of England". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ a b Onsori, Zahra (27 February 2026). "Two strategic authorities formed". Local Government Chronicle (LGC). Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ Watterson, Kaleigh (25 February 2026). "Cheshire and Warrington combined authority comes into force". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ^ "The Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026". legislation.gov.uk. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ Jonny, Manning (24 February 2026). "Cumbria Combined Authority formally created by government". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ "The Cumbria Combined Authority Order 2026". legislation.gov.uk. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ "The Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority Regulations 2026". legislation.gov.uk. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ^ "The Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority Regulations 2026". legislation.gov.uk. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
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