Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
Essex CC rejects combined authority plan ‘in its current form’
10/04/2025 Essex County Council has told the Government that it cannot support the proposal for devolution in Greater Essex ‘in its current form’. |
Mayors' integrated settlements published
09/04/2025 Final details of integrated settlements for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have been confirmed for 2025-26. |
Governance concerns prompt best value notice for Tees Valley
04/04/2025 The Government has issued Tees Valley Combined Authority with a best value notice due to concerns over governance and culture. |
Think tanks calls for doubling of mayoral capacity fund
14/03/2025 A think tank has urged the Government to commit to doubling the mayoral capacity fund to help strengthen capacity and accountability in combined authorities. |
Council leaders welcome new combined authority
07/02/2025 Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority has now been formerly established, moving the area closer to unlocking a £400m investment fund. |
New Lancashire combined county authority launched
06/02/2025 The new Lancashire combined county authority has officially come into being. |
Combined authority plea ahead of Chagossian arrivals
05/02/2025 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has pleaded for help from other local authorities ahead of the upcoming arrival of hundreds of Chagossians. |
Elected mayor 'stumbling block' warning
21/11/2024 Ministers' insistence on a directly-elected mayor is ‘fast appearing on the horizon as a major stumbling block for English devolution', expert warns. |
Leaders meet to discuss housebuilding partnerships
06/11/2024 Local authority leaders met in London on Monday with the aim of creating new partnerships to help meet the Government's aim of delivering 1.5 million homes. |
Budget: Authorities to get single funding settlements
30/10/2024 The Government has announced the first six authorities eligible to receive single funding settlements. |
East Midlands set for first permanent chief executive
28/10/2024 The East Midlands Combined County Authority has announced Amy Harhoff is to be appointed as its first permanent chief executive. |
Community environment projects get £300k boost
14/10/2024 Over a dozen locally led community projects in the West Midlands have shared almost £300,000 of funding to help improve the region’s environment. |
Mayors can relieve council pressures, says report
09/10/2024 Mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) can help with long-standing policy challenges in public services as well as boosting economic growth, a think-tank has argued. |
Further devolution needed to drive energy efficiency measures
25/09/2024 Devolution of funding is needed so that mayoral combined authorities can take the lead in delivering energy efficiency upgrades to homes, a new report says. |
Manchester adopts Finnish housing scheme in UK first
12/09/2024 A housing scheme said to have significantly reduced homelessness in Finland is set to become a ‘guiding philosophy’ in Greater Manchester after a successful pilot. |
Regional growth initiatives likely to 'fall over next year' without UKSPF clarity
12/09/2024 Regional growth initiatives are likely to ‘fall over next year' unless the Government clarifies the future of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a combined authority chief has warned. |
Man United joins regeneration drive
10/09/2024 Manchester United has joined forces with Trafford Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to maximise regeneration opportunities. |
Councils draining ‘dwindling’ reserves to stay afloat
04/09/2024 Three in five (60%) city leaders have warned they will have to draw on already depleted financial reserves this year to ‘stay financially afloat.’ |
Cheshire devolution talks gain pace
19/08/2024 A partnership of three Cheshire councils is said to have emerged as an ‘early candidate’ for accelerated talks on devolution with the new Government. |
Devolution ‘essential’ to Labour's growth mission
25/07/2024 Devolution reforms will be essential if Labour is to fulfil its mission of nationwide growth, a new report has argued. |
King's Speech: Devolution takes centre stage
17/07/2024 The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech. |
Brabin seeks public's views on tram plans
16/07/2024 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has launched a public consultation on options for two tram lines in the Leeds-Bradford area. |
Labour will need to back up strategic planning 'with teeth'
27/06/2024 Labour’s proposed push for a return to strategic planning will need to be ‘backed up with teeth’, an expert has suggested. |
Birmingham councillor becomes West Midlands deputy mayor
17/06/2024 The deputy leader of Birmingham City Council has been appointed as the deputy mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). |
Call to fix ‘incomplete patchwork’ of devolution deals
13/05/2024 The next government must extend devolution to 85% of England to address an ‘incomplete patchwork of mismatched deals’, a think-tank has argued. |
Watchdog should investigate Teesworks freeport, MPs say
26/04/2024 MPs have recommended that the National Audit Office (NAO) should investigate the finances of the controversial Teesworks regeneration project. |
Combined authority criticised for ‘inconsistent’ best value approach
05/03/2024 The Government has criticised the West of England Combined Authority for what it describes as ‘inconsistent action’ over flagged value for money concerns. |
More areas get level four devolution powers
01/03/2024 West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Liverpool city region will all receive level four devolved powers, local government secretary Michael Gove has announced. |
Teesworks inquiry finds no evidence of ‘corruption’
30/01/2024 An inquiry into accusations of corruption relating to the Teesworks scheme has found no evidence of ‘illegality’ but ‘transparency’ concerns remain. |
Combined authority approves £600,000 for athletics championship
15/01/2024 The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved an extra £600,000 to go towards the cost of hosting the 2026 European Athletics Championships (EAC). |
Manchester leads list for local government in New Year honours
02/01/2024 The chief executives of both Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been recognised in the New Year Honours List. |
Rotheram threatened over Covid restrictions
27/11/2023 Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram was assigned 24-hour police security after he received threats during the Covid pandemic, he revealed today. |
Mayor failed to intervene following bullying
27/11/2023 Details have emerged of a bullying probe at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority that found mayor Nik Johnson breached the organisation’s code of conduct. |
Autumn Statement: Lancashire devolution ‘amazing news for county’
23/11/2023 The Lancashire devolution announcement in the Autumn Statement is ‘amazing news for county’, local authority leaders in the region have said. |
West Yorkshire to host £220m investment zone
21/11/2023 A new investment zone has been announced for West Yorkshire focused on life sciences. |
'Devolution hopes rest on combined authorities'
24/10/2023 Combined authorities represent the greatest hope for devolution in England, according to a new report based on interviews with 95 former ministers and Whitehall mandarins. |
Call for bus franchising powers for councils
22/09/2023 Local authorities need more powers, including to introduce franchising, to end a 'spiral of decline' in bus service delivery, a new report has said. |
Bentley insists level two devolution 'best option' for county
21/09/2023 Essex CC’s Conservative leader Kevin Bentley has insisted that a level two devolution deal is the ‘best option’ for the county. |
Combined authority approves £10m Leeds housing investment
08/09/2023 Members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have approved proposals to invest more than £10m in delivering over 800 new homes in Leeds. |
Warwickshire in talks over WMCA move
04/07/2023 Senior Government ministers are brokering talks between Mayor Andy Street and Warwickshire CC as the county looks at joining the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), The MJ understands. |
Plans for South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub unveiled
29/06/2023 South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has announced plans to create 300 apprenticeships in the region through a new Apprenticeship Hub. |
North of Tyne Combined Authority agrees £30m investment
14/06/2023 North of Tyne Combined Authority has agreed a £30m investment to 'breathe new life' into a former coal mining town. |
Tory MPs block release of Teesside investigation documents
08/06/2023 The Government has blocked the release of documents which would show the decision-making behind an investigation into controversial Teesside redevelopment. |
West Midlands Combined Authority signs £2bn warehouse partnership
18/05/2023 The West Midlands Combined Authority has announced a £2bn partnership to create warehouse facilities in the region over the next 10 years. |
Combined authority welcomes £100m investment fund
16/05/2023 Whitehall has signed off on a £100m investment fund for the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) before its closure next year. |
Mayor launches bus franchising consultation
15/05/2023 Mayor Steve Rotheram has launched a consultation on bus reform in the Liverpool City Region. |
Report shows stark variations in levelling up funding
25/04/2023 Competitive bidding has led to a £0.5bn gap in levelling up cash between the best and least funded combined authorities, according to new analysis. |
West Midlands CA welcomes unspent Commonwealth Games funding
20/03/2023 Around £70m of unspent Commonwealth Games funding is to be used to develop the West Midlands economy and boost its trade and tourism sectors. |
Budget 2023: Hunt to boost mayors' financial autonomy
15/03/2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the Government will ‘boost mayors’ financial autonomy’ in his Budget. |
Chancellor to announce investment zones backed by £80m
14/03/2023 Twelve investment zones, each backed by £80m, will be announced tomorrow as part of the effort to boost local growth and level up left behind areas. |
Council digitalisation being held back, report finds
23/02/2023 Councils’ efforts to digitalise are being hindered by a lack of funding and guidance, a new report has found. |
WMCA to spend £15m improving ‘sub-standard’ social housing
26/01/2023 The West Midlands Combined Authority is planning to spend £15m improving some of the region’s most dilapidated and unhealthy social housing. |
Combined authority invests £9m in local social enterprise
02/12/2022 A social enterprise in the West Midlands is set to greatly increase the number of properties it owns thanks to a £9m investment by the combined authority. |
Unleash wave of mayoral devo, says think tank
20/06/2022 A report from the centre right Onward think tank has urged the Government to step back from ‘micromanaging’ England’s cities and counties and unleash a wave of mayoral devolution. |
Councils make bid for new East Midlands combined authority
16/06/2022 Four councils have submitted a bid to Government to create a new East Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority. |
Combined authority signs £4bn agreement with Legal & General
18/05/2022 WMCA and L&G have today signed a partnership agreement with L&G committing to invest £4bn in regeneration, housing and levelling up across the West Midlands. |
Talks held on East Midlands combined authority
17/03/2022 Proposals for an East Midlands combined authority covering Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire could be put forward to the Government as part of county deal negotiations. |
Leaders lay out plans for 'just transition' to net-zero
08/11/2021 Council and combined authority leaders have detailed plans for a ‘just transition’ to net-zero as new research revealed nine million people could be hit economically. |
Devolution should be the default option, say MPs
01/10/2021 The Government should consider devolving greater powers in housing, health, planning and education, a new report has argued today. |
County areas chase devo dream
17/08/2021 County areas are lining up to strike one of the first tranche of devolution deals. |
Combined authority first to be awarded RACE quality mark
26/07/2021 The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has become the first organisation in the UK to be awarded the RACE Equality Code. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority sets out plans for mass transit system
28/01/2021 Residents of West Yorkshire have been asked to give their views on plans for a new transport network that aims to connect the region’s communities to jobs, education and opportunities. |
Combined authority expansion halted by ‘party politics’
09/11/2020 The expansion of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has stalled after leaders failed to reach an agreement. |
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Supporting our young people in the path to economic recovery
03/11/2020 Clare Hatton explains how the West Midlands Combined Authority has made it a priority to support all young people, but especially those not in education, employment or training (NEET). |
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Combined authority first governmental body to join alliance
13/08/2020 Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced that Liverpool City Region combined authority is the first governmental body in the world to join the wellbeing economy alliance. |
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Lancashire CC sets out plans for new combined authority
29/07/2020 Lancashire CC has put forward proposals for a new combined authority and an elected mayor for the county. |
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Combined authority 'spending reserves like it's going out of fashion'
17/06/2020 Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s chief executive has expressed doubts about whether his region would be able to cope with a second wave of coronavirus infections. |
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Jenrick voices support for East Midlands Combined Authority plans
02/03/2020 District and borough councils in Leicestershire have announced they will be taking forward discussions about creating an East Midlands Combined Authority. |
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Combined authority re-defines ‘affordable housing’
04/02/2020 The West Midlands has become the first region to re-define ‘affordable housing’. |
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Men dominate top table at combined authorities, research warns
04/11/2019 Only one in five with a vote at the top table in combined authorities are women, new research has found. |
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Queen's Speech 19: Devolution White Paper to set out 'structural reform'
14/10/2019 An English devolution White Paper is planned by the Government, it has been confirmed in the Queen’s Speech. |
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Rent caps needed to curb housing crisis, report says
04/10/2019 A think tank has called for local leaders to have the power to cap rents in high-cost areas. |
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Changing Tynes
03/10/2019 Heather Jameson talks to Jamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Mayor, about the main challenges facing the combined authority, the region’s devolution deal, and putting party politics to one side. |
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Treasury 'wasting money' in funding of local government
17/09/2019 The Treasury is wasting money in its funding of local government and needs to have a more place-based focus, according to a report from the respected Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank. |
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Combined authority launches West Yorkshire’s ‘largest’ electric vehicle charging network
05/08/2019 The first of 88 chargepoints will go live this week in what is set to be West Yorkshire’s largest electric vehicle rapid-charging network. |
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Adult education budget devolved to six combined authorities
01/08/2019 Six mayoral combined authorities and the GLA will be responsible for the adult education budget in their areas from today, the Government has announced. |
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Plans to hike business rates in the West Midlands dropped
24/07/2019 Businesses in the West Midlands will breath a sigh of relief after an announcement that a planned business rate hike is unlikely to go ahead. |
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Greater Manchester aims to be carbon-neutral by 2038
14/06/2019 Plans by Greater Manchester to become the UK’s 'leading green and digital city-region' have won backing from the Government in its new Local Industrial Strategy. |
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Whitehall approves South Yorkshire devolution deal
10/05/2019 The Government has approved the South Yorkshire devolution deal, which will see £900m invested in the region. |
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Ministry moves on Brexit
24/10/2018 Senior Marsham Street officials have stepped up their preparations for Brexit after complaints from frustrated councils that they were being shut out of the process. |
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Brokenshire considering new devolution models
10/07/2018 James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted. |
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Combined authority announces deal to build 40,000 homes
30/01/2018 The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has agreed to work with a coalition of 15 housing associations to deliver up to 40,000 affordable homes. |
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LEP moves to become 'most transparent' in England
16/01/2018 A local enterprise partnership (LEP) that had funding restrictions slapped on it by the Government has approved transparency measures that go beyond national guidance. |
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Next stage for North of Tyne devolution deal
13/12/2017 Councils in the North East have launched a public consultation over the next stage of a devolution plan for the area. |
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Industrial Strategy snubs councils
27/11/2017 Business secretary Greg Clark has snubbed councils and empowered local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) in the Government’s long-awaited Industrial Strategy. |
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‘Non-mayoral combined authorities’ a possibility, Javid says
21/11/2017 Sajid Javid has raised the possibility of ‘non-mayoral combined authorities’ in rural areas as part of a new devolution framework. |
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Combined authority bids for £200m government investment
17/10/2017 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has bid for more than £200m of government investment in its Autumn Budget submission. |
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Whitehall should use Brexit to ‘drive’ devolution, combined authority mayors insist
06/10/2017 The Government should listen to all parts of the North as Britain leaves the EU, leaders of the northern combined authorities have demanded. |
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Mayor warns about 'reputational damage' caused by LEP
29/09/2017 The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in Cambridgeshire is causing the area ‘reputational damage’ the combined authority’s mayor has warned. |
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Combined authorities need ‘meaningful’ fiscal devolution, progress report says
26/09/2017 Whitehall should reopen the conversation about ‘meaningful’ fiscal devolution in order to help places attract sustainable investment, says report on the progress of combined authorities. |
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Six mayors to pilot innovative new employment schemes
01/08/2017 Thousands of disadvantaged people are to be helped back into work under new pilot schemes being delivered by six combined authorities. |
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Councillors may have limited control over combined authorities, warn auditors
06/07/2017 There is a risk local councillors will have limited capacity for the overview and scrutiny of combined authorities, auditors have warned. |
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Oxfordshire districts put forward plans for combined authority
19/06/2017 Three district councils have submitted their plan for a combined authority in Oxfordshire to the Government, in response for calls for a unitary council. |
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Metro mayors should place digital at ‘the heart’ of their plans
26/04/2017 The new metro mayors should put digital devolution at the ‘heart of their plans’, tech industry campaigners say. |
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Combined authorities risk being 'preserve of men' finds report
18/04/2017 Nearly all (93%) of senior positions in the new combined authorities will be appointed to white men, new research has revealed. |
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New Tees Valley mayor granted powers to ‘drive’ economic development
14/03/2017 Tees Valley Combined Authority has become the first authority outside of London to be granted the power to create locally-accountable Mayoral Development Corporations. |
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Combined authorities the ‘natural leaders’ for driving reform of criminal justice system
22/02/2017 Metro mayors should use newly-devolved criminal justice powers to cut reoffending rates, report urges. |
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West of England devo deal gets the go-ahead
17/02/2017 Communities minister Andrew Percy has given the go-ahead for the west of England combined authority headed by a directly-elected mayor. |
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West Yorks leader calls for end to 'devolution deadlock'
15/02/2017 Calls to reignite the Leeds City Region devolution proposals submitted almost 18 months ago have been made by chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. |
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Warrington Council approves Cheshire devolution deal
15/02/2017 Warrington Borough Council’s executive board yesterday approved plans for a devolution deal with Cheshire. |
