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A strategic authority is a public body introduced as part of English devolution. The term was first used in December 2024 and became statutory in 2026 as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. The term was applied to existing structures that had already been created over the preceding twenty-five years. Strategic authorities are categorised as foundation, mayoral, and established mayoral. This indicates how developed they are as structures to receive devolved powers and funding. As of June 2026[update], there are twenty strategic authorities made up of thirteen combined authorities, six combined county authorities and the Greater London Authority. All strategic authorities outside Greater London were voluntarily established by their constituent councils. All but foundation strategic authorities have a strategic authority mayor.
History
[edit]English devolution act
[edit]In December 2024 the Starmer ministry published a white paper which proposed that the Greater London Authority, combined authorities, and combined county authorities would be designated as strategic authorities. These authorities would have competence over transport and local infrastructure, skills and employment support, housing and strategic planning, economic development and regeneration, environment and climate change, health, wellbeing and public service reform, and public safety. The government said it intended to "complete the map" of devolution so every part of England would be covered by one strategic authority and one principal council.[1][2][3][a]
Categories
[edit]There are three categories of strategic authority in England:[4][3]
| Category | Description | Example | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Without an elected mayor. They receive basic devolved powers. These can include a single unitary authority or county council specially designated by the government. | Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority[b] | [5][6][7] |
| Mayoral | With an elected mayor. They receive greater devolved powers. | York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority[c] | [5][6] |
| Established mayoral | With an elected mayor in place for at least 18 months and has satisfied additional governance requirements. They receive the greatest devolved powers, notably including the Integrated Settlement, which allows more flexibility of devolved spending. | Greater Manchester Combined Authority[d] | [5][6][8][9] |
Powers and functions
[edit]
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 defines the competencies of strategic authorities as follows[10][11][3]
- transport and local infrastructure, including the production of local transport plans
- skills and employment support
- housing and strategic planning, including the production of spatial development strategies[12]
- economic development and regeneration
- the environment and climate change
- health, well-being and public service reform
- public safety
- culture
- rural affairs and coastal communities
List of strategic authorities
[edit]
As of June 2026, there are twenty strategic authorities:
| Strategic authority | Status | Formed |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | Mayoral | 2 Mar 2017 |
| Cheshire and Warrington | Mayoral | 24 Feb 2026 |
| Cumbria | Mayoral | 24 Feb 2026 |
| Devon and Torbay | Foundation | 5 Feb 2025 |
| East Midlands | Mayoral | 27 Feb 2024 |
| Greater Lincolnshire | Mayoral | 5 Feb 2025 |
| Greater London | Established mayoral | 3 Jul 2000 |
| Greater Manchester | Established mayoral | 1 Apr 2011 |
| Hampshire and the Solent | Mayoral | 4 Jun 2026 |
| Hull and East Yorkshire | Mayoral | 5 Feb 2025 |
| Lancashire | Foundation | 5 Feb 2025 |
| Liverpool City Region | Established mayoral | 1 Apr 2014 |
| North East | Established mayoral | 7 May 2024 |
| South Yorkshire | Established mayoral | 1 Apr 2014 |
| Sussex and Brighton | Mayoral | 26 Mar 2026 |
| Tees Valley | Mayoral | 1 Apr 2016 |
| West Midlands | Established mayoral | 16 Jun 2016 |
| West of England | Mayoral | 9 Apr 2017 |
| West Yorkshire | Established mayoral | 1 Apr 2014 |
| York and North Yorkshire | Mayoral | 20 Dec 2023 |
Partnership and cooperation
[edit]Where strategic authorities have mayors, they are members of the Mayoral Council for England,[13] and of the UK-wide Council of the Nations and Regions,[14] both of which were established by the incoming Labour government in 2024.
The Great North
[edit]In May 2025, eight strategic authority mayors from the North of England launched a partnership known as "The Great North". The partnership comprises 11 contiguous northern strategic authorities, eight of which are currently mayoral (Greater Manchester, Hull and East Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire) and three others (Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Lancashire). The partnership, whose brand is based on the Great North Run, will lead trade missions and focus on pan-North investment propositions including hosting a Northern investment summit.[15][16][17] Transport in The Great North partnership area has been integrated under the statutory body Transport for the North since 2018.
See also
[edit]- Strategic authority mayor
- Devolution in the United Kingdom
- History of local government in England
- Local government in England
- Mayoral Council for England
- Corporate Joint Committee, a joint committee of two or more local authorities in Wales
Notes
[edit]- ^ Separately proposed was that the remaining parts of England with two-tier local government would be reorganised into unitary authorities
- ^ As of May 2026[update]
- ^ As of May 2026[update]
- ^ As of May 2026[update]
References
[edit]- ^ "Devolution White Paper: On-the-day factual briefing". Local Government Association. 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Explaining more about the English Devolution White Paper". Centre for Governance and Scrutiny. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b c "Nine things we learned from the English devolution white paper". Institute for Government. 17 December 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ^ Weakley, Kirsty (27 May 2026). "Devolution Act: What you need to know". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ a b c "English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill : Guidance". GOV.UK. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
- ^ a b c "Devolution and local government reorganisation FAQs and glossary". Local Government Association. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ^ "What is devolution and how does it affect me?" (PDF). Warrington Voluntary Action. March 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ^ "Integrated Settlement: policy document". GOV.UK. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ^ Baker, Ian (17 November 2025). "Driving devolution: integrated settlements signal all change for transport infrastructure funding". WSP. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ^ "English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026: Section 2", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2026 c. 23 (s. 2), retrieved 23 May 2026
- ^ Hollander, Gavriel (1 May 2026). "Devolution bill's passing offers mayors and strategic authorities potential to boost development, sector bodies say". Inside Housing. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ^ Clarke, Edward; Bowers, Dominic; Spry, Matthew (16 February 2026). "Spatial Development Strategy Geographies – Will the map change the landscape?". Lichfields. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ^ "Deputy Prime Minister launches first-ever Mayoral Council". GOV.UK. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ O'Grady, Sean (11 October 2024). "How will the new Council of the Nations and Regions tackle power-sharing challenges?". The Independent. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ "The Great North unleashes new era of prosperity spearheaded by Northern Mayors". The Great North. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Tickell, Pamela (19 May 2025). "Northern mayors unveil investment partnership". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Gibson, Sally (19 May 2025). "Northern Mayors partner up to form The Great North". Place North West. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
