Mayoral Combined Authority to be established in Hull and East Yorkshire next year
The Authority will be in place from May and headed by a directly elected mayor
Last updated 30th Sep 2024
The political landscape in Hull and East Yorkshire will soon alter as, from May 2025, the region will get a Combined Authority headed by a directly elected mayor.
It means more decisions will be made in the region. It also comes with around £13-million per year of funding.
Many parts of England have had Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) for much of the last decade and represent on ongoing trend of power leaving Westminster and being devolved across the country.
What is a Combined Authority?
Rather than being directly elected bodies such as the London Assembly or the Scottish Parliament, Combined Authorities are a collaboration between neighbouring councils who together make decisions using their experience and expertise of the region.
Combined Authorities allow councils to work together to make decisions on topics and issues that are usually made in Westminster, including transport, housing, skills, and investment.
The Combined Authority will be headed by a directly elected Mayor who, in addition to leading the Authority, will act as the leader of the region on the national stage. Whenever a big event takes place you can expect to see the Mayor being interviewed discussing the issue.
What have Combined Authorities done in other regions?
Improved public transport within the region is often one of the most noticeable results of having a Combined Authority.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been delivering the first fully locally regulated bus system outside of London since the 1980s. He's also combined the region’s trams, buses, and bicycles into one integrated network with its own mobile app.
A further example is Tracy Brabin, Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, who's announced plans for a new Tram network to improve connectivity between Leeds and Bradford.
It's hoped the process of making public transport decisions in Hull & East Yorkshire by people with knowledge and experience of the region could result in better transport systems.
Combined Authorities also make decisions on housing. They can create and manage their own housing plans, making their own decisions on how land is used and where funds are allocated.