West of England Combined Authority

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is a combined authority within the West of England area, consisting of the local authorities of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset. The body has its headquarters in the Redcliffe area of Bristol, and is led by the Mayor of the West of England. The most recent election for this post took place on 6 May 2021, when the Labour candidate Dan Norris was elected on a turnout of 36%.[2]

West of England Combined Authority
West of England Combined Authority within England
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
Term limits
None
History
Founded9 February 2017
Leadership
Structure
Elections
Indirect election, directly elected mayor from 2017
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
2024
Meeting place
70 Redcliff Street, Bristol[1]
Website
www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk

Establishment
Map of the constituent boroughs within South West England, alongside North Somerset which rejected the deal

Devolution of certain powers to the West of England was announced by the UK government in the 2016 budget.[3] The government's vision was to create a "Western Powerhouse" analogous to the Northern Powerhouse concept. The proposal could bring nearly £1 billion of investment to the region over thirty years.[4][5]

The original proposal was to cover the same area as the County of Avon which came into formal existence on 1 April 1974 and was abolished in 1996.[6] However, in June 2016 North Somerset council rejected the proposal.[7] Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils agreed to proceed without them.[8][9]

The devolution deal, via the West of England Combined Authority Order 2017, came into force on 9 February 2017. The first public meeting of the combined authority took place on 1 March with an interim chair,[10][11] followed by the first mayoral election in May.[12]

Population

The region covered by the combined authority had a population estimated at 950,000 in 2020.[13] The authority also works closely with North Somerset Council; the joint area had a population in 2020 of 1,165,600.[14]

Responsibilities

The authority's functions, as specified by the West of England Combined Authority Order, mostly cover planning, skills and local transport. In April 2017 the authority published a 207-page constitution which includes terms of reference for the body and its committees.[15] An updated constitution was agreed on 15 July 2019[16] and 9 June 2020.[17]

Planning, economy and skills
See also: Dan Norris § Spatial Development Strategy

Responsibilities include:

  • Strategic planning, including a Spatial Development Strategy which will act as the framework for managing planning across the West of England region.[18]
  • Control of a new additional £30 million a year funding allocation over 30 years, to be invested in the West of England Single Investment Fund, to boost growth.
  • The 19+ Adult Education budget, which was devolved from the 2019/20 academic year.

Transport

The mayor and combined authority are responsible for a consolidated, devolved local transport budget, with a multi-year settlement.[19] They can franchise bus services, subject to necessary legislation and local consultation.[19]

The authority promotes the West of England Joint Local Transport Plan, which includes the MetroBus network and the MetroWest rail project. The fourth iteration of the plan was published in March 2020.[20]

A Key Route Network of local authority roads is managed and maintained by the combined authority on behalf of the Mayor.[19]

Travelwest is a transport information and advice service promoted by the WECA authorities as well as North Somerset.[21]

In early 2023, about 40 of the 69 subsidised bus routes were expected to be withdrawn due to reductions in the local transport levy, but a new on-call minibus "demand-responsive transport" service would be launched using new government funding which could only be spent on "new and innovative" services.[22][23] The mayor said he was not yet convinced that using the new bus franchising model introduced by the Bus Services Act 2017, similar to arrangements in London, is suitable for the area, but he would monitor how well franchising works in Manchester when rolled out from 2023[24] though WECA was not carrying out any detailed analysis of this option.[25]

Budget

In 2018–19 the authority's income was £26.3m, of which £13m was from levies on the local authorities for WECA's transport functions and £7m came in grants. Expenditure was £25.3m, of which £12.8m was spent on concessionary fares and £1.7m on community transport; £2.6m was transferred to reserves and £2.9m was contributed to the Mayoral Fund. From this fund, which also received £17.6m from business rates, the mayor spent £12m on highways and £7m on transport, as well as £0.7m on the Joint Spatial Plan.[26]

In the October 2021 budget the UK government allocated £540 million to WECA over a five-year period for public transport improvements, to be predominantly spent on improving bus services.[27][28]

WECA spent £9.6 million on staffing in 2022–23 and the mayor requested £17.6 million for 2023–24, increased largely to deliver new projects from the additional government transport funding and to cover strategic transport planning responsibility transferred to WECA from constituent councils. After negotiations with council leaders in January 2023, £800,000 of the proposed increase was withheld.[29][30][31]

Membership

The membership of the combined authority cabinet is as follows.[32]

Name Position Assumed office
Mayor Dan Norris Mayor of the West of England (West of England Combined Authority) 2021
Kevin Guy Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council 2021
Mayor Marvin Rees Mayor of Bristol (Bristol City Council) 2016
Claire Young Leader of South Gloucestershire Council 2023

Former South Gloucestershire Council leader Matthew Riddle was chosen to be interim chair of the combined authority until the first elected mayor took office on 8 May 2017, and Marvin Rees was chosen to be vice-chair.[33]

As of April 2019 the authority employed 84, including the staff of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and the 'Invest in Bristol and Bath' team.[26]

In 2021 there was a dispute between the members and the Mayor of the West of England over the mayor's powers, in particular a power to veto alternative proposals to the joint committee including North Somerset Council. The four local authorities’ monitoring officers, who give legal advice, stated the veto could arguably amount to maladministration.[34] On 15 October 2021, the four council leaders did not attend a WECA meeting with the mayor, which meant over £50 million of spending decisions could not be made.[35] In November 2021, after taking new legal advice, Norris agreed not to claim veto powers on decisions involving North Somerset.[36]

History
See also: Dan Norris § Mayoralty

In 2022, WECA moved from offices near Bristol Temple Meads railway station, to larger offices in a four-storey building in nearby Redcliffe.[37][38]

In May 2022, WECA's external auditors, Grant Thornton, initiated an investigation into strained relationships within WECA, after identifying a consequent "risk of significant weakness" in value-for-money arrangements.[39][40] Grant Thornton also examined the issue of senior staff leaving, which they considered could be "highly problematic". WECA's draft 2021/2022 accounts show it spent nearly £9 million on staff salaries, £892,000 over budget.[41] The auditors' report became available to the public in November 2022. It criticised WECA leaders for having a "poor state of professional relationships", and found five "significant weaknesses" in value-for-money arrangements. It made three legally-binding "statutory recommendations", two "key recommendations" and four "implementation recommendations". Grant Thornton issued such recommendations in only 3% of local authority reports it made that year.[42][43][44] The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities placed WECA on a monitoring watchlist, so if there is not improvement this could result in a "best value" improvement panel being imposed or government best value inspectors taking over control of WECA.[45]

Potential changes

In 2018, Mayor Tim Bowles voiced hope that North Somerset would join the combined authority, saying: "We work closely on a regular basis with Nigel [Ashton, then leader of the council] and his officers on a number of things. Personally I hope they do, and there are lots of people in North Somerset who hope they do too".[12] In October 2020 there were discussions around North Somerset joining the WECA in time for the May 2021 election;[46][47] however Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol, voted down this proposal in early 2021.[48] He rejected it on the basis that there should be a financial offer from the government for the council's inclusion, and stated that he would like to see North Somerset joining in the future.[48] In 2020, North Somerset Council leader Don Davies said he regretted the decision not to join.[49] In 2021, Dan Norris the newly elected mayor showed his interest in North Somerset council joining but also the rest of Somerset.[50]

George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol from 2012 to 2016, suggested in 2019 that his former role should be abolished and the combined authority renamed the "Bristol and Bath City Region", saying "Even when I stood for Bristol mayor back in 2012 I said I would prefer that we had a metro mayor. But a directly elected mayor for Bristol is what we had on offer from the government at the time".[51][52]

References
  1. "Contact Us". WECA. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  2. "Mayor of the West of England". BBC News. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. "Budget 2016" (PDF). GOV.UK. HM Treasury. March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  4. "West of England £1bn devolution deal announced in Budget". BBC News. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  5. Gavin Thompson (16 March 2016). "Metro mayor and £1 billion investment for Greater Bristol announced in Budget 2016". Bristol Post. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  6. "The return of Avon: Osborne announces devolution plans". ITV news. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  7. Crawley, James (8 June 2016). "West of England devolution: North Somerset rejects metro mayor plan". Bath Chronicle.
  8. "The West of England devolution deal". Bristol City Council. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  9. Crawley, James (29 June 2016). "BANES backs £1billion west of England devolution deal and metro mayor but will residents support it?". Bath Chronicale. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  10. "First meeting set for newly established West of England Combined Authority". Bath Echo. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  11. "West of England Combined Authority Order", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2017/126
  12. Ashcroft, Esme (4 May 2018). "Weca Metro Mayor marks first anniversary - but what has he done?". Bristol Post. Reach plc. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  13. "ONS Population estimates - local authority based by five year age band [2020] via Nomis". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  14. "ONS Population estimates - local authority based by five year age band [2020] via Nomis". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  15. "Constitution" (PDF). West of England Combined Authority. April 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  16. "West of England Combined Authority Constitution" (PDF). West of England Combined Authority. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  17. "West of England Combined Authority Constitution" (PDF). West of England Combined Authority. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  18. "Spatial Development Strategy" (PDF). WECA. 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  19. "West of England Devolution Agreement" (PDF). Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  20. "Joint Local Transport Plan 4: 2020–2036" (PDF). Travelwest. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  21. Travelwest https://travelwest.info/pages/us
  22. Seabrook, Alex (20 January 2023). "West bus passengers to see 36 routes axed in funding row". BBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  23. Seabrook, Alex (19 January 2023). "Another 42 bus services in West of England face axe in April". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  24. Deeney, Yvonne (20 February 2023). "More Bristol bus services to be scrapped in April but franchising is still not on the table". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  25. Seabrook, Alex (7 March 2023). "'No analysis done' on bringing buses under public control despite West of England Metro Mayor's claims". Bristol Post. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  26. "Statement of Accounts" (PDF). West of England Combined Authority. 31 March 2019. pp. 1, 6–8. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  27. Baker, Hannah (28 October 2021). "Autumn Budget 2021: Bristol and Bath region receives £540m boost for public transport". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  28. Shapps, Grant (1 April 2022). "Allocating City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements" (PDF). Department for Transport. Retrieved 28 April 2022 – via gov.uk.
  29. Postans, Adam (30 January 2023). "WECA leaders agree huge hike in staffing costs at latest shambolic meeting". Bristol Post. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  30. "Mayoral and Combined Authority Budget 2023/24 and Medium-term Financial Strategy" (PDF). WECA. 27 January 2023. p. 20. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  31. Postans, Adam (17 November 2022). "Power transfer could see Bristol council shed 100 staff". BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  32. "'Metro mayor' to run new West of England authority". ITV News. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  33. "First WECA Committee Meeting". West of England Combined Authority. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  34. Postans, Adam (13 October 2021). "Bombshell leaked letter reveals WECA leaders' power tussle". Bristol Post. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  35. Postans, Adam (15 October 2021). "WECA crisis as all four council leaders pull out of crucial meeting". Bristol Post. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  36. Postans, Adam (17 November 2021). "WECA row could be over as metro mayor Dan Norris backs down over veto". Bristol Post. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  37. "Weca signs new office deal costing £200,000 a year more in rent". BBC News. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  38. Postans, Adam (13 May 2022). "WECA accused of wasting £8m on new Bristol HQ after Yate "snub"". Bristol Post. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  39. Postans, Adam (3 May 2022). "Probe into Weca top officer payoff amid power struggle between leaders". Bristol Post. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  40. Postans, Adam (21 June 2022). "Council leader demands "significant change" of top WECA officers". Bristol Post. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  41. "Senior leader given £59k payoff to leave Weca". BBC News. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  42. Postans, Adam (21 November 2022). "'Damning' WECA report into council chief spat prompts plea to 'play nicely'". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  43. Robinson, Harriet; Postans, Adam (21 November 2022). "Weca leaders 'ordered to stop their infighting'". BBC News. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  44. "VfM Report on Governance (FINAL FOR ISSUE)" (PDF). Grant Thornton. November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022 – via WECA.
  45. Postans, Adam (6 March 2023). "WECA placed on government 'watchlist' after council leaders' rows". Bristol Post. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  46. "North Somerset Council joining Weca 'could secure vital funds'". BBC News. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  47. Sumner, Stephen (27 October 2020). "Not joining regional partnership would be "stupid"". BristolLive. Reach plc. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  48. Postans, Adam (3 February 2021). "Minister offers path for North Somerset to join Weca". Bristol Post. Reach plc. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  49. "West of England Mayor Tim Bowles announces retirement". BBC News. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  50. "West of England Mayor Dan Norris hopes to safeguard jobs and businesses". BBC News. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  51. Wilson, Kate (6 September 2019). "Ex-Bristol mayor says he will be campaigning to scrap the city's mayor role". Bristol Post. Reach plc. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  52. "Bristol's first elected mayor says role should be scrapped". ITV News. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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