Geography, proposal and funding

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA for short) was established in 2017, comprised of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire Unitary Authorities. North Somerset Council did not join at that point.

The proposal to consult on North Somerset joining WECA is supported by the Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, the three leaders of the existing constituent Unitary Authorities, and was agreed by the Full Council meeting of North Somerset Council on 16 September 2025.

Why we are proposing to expand the Mayoral Combined Authority

The government has committed to expanding English devolution to cover every area of the nation. The English Devolution White Paper says, “Our goal is simple. Universal coverage in England of Strategic Authorities – which should be a number of councils working together, covering areas that people recognise and work in” and “the government’s strong preference is for partnerships that bring more than one local authority together over a large geography.”

Strategic Authorities have responsibility over the coordination of the following areas, using region-wide funding and a strategic approach to solving regional challenges to deliver economic growth, improved public services, and an enhanced natural environment. Specific areas of competence are:

• 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.
• Public safety.

Strategic Authorities, of which Mayoral Strategic Authorities are one subset, will also in future benefit from Integrated Settlements, bringing consolidated budgets across their areas of competence with increased flexibility to move and allocate funding between and across areas of priority. Currently, WECA is in government terminology an ‘Mayoral Strategic Authority’ rather than a ‘Established Mayoral Strategic Authority’ but is seeking to obtain that latter status, which brings a further level of devolution.

The expansion of WECA to include North Somerset would have the best chance of economic alignment, given the important links that already exist between North Somerset communities and the Mayoral Combined Authority area. Alternative arrangements would fail to achieve this. The government supports this options as the best way of securing additional economic growth and investment in the region.

From the North Somerset perspective, the primary reasons for reconsidering membership at this stage is the potential for greater investment in important areas like public transport, adult skills, and environmental protection. There is a renewed government focus on extending devolution and the need to access funding that is specifically earmarked for Strategic Authorities to support delivery of infrastructure and economic growth. By joining, North Somerset would have full access to this funding for the first time, rather than relying on ad hoc arrangements or missing out entirely.

There is a long-standing recognition of the economic links between North Somerset and WECA. 22% of North Somerset working residents work in the WECA area, and 9% of North Somerset’s workers live in the West of England. Students and young people cross boundaries to attend school, college and university. Businesses generally will look across boundaries and administrative borders, as is the case with Bristol/Portbury docks. Creative industries work between the areas, with TV and film companies based in Bristol, including the BBC and Channel 4, often choosing North Somerset as a filming location. People travel from Bristol and Bath to North Somerset and vice versa for leisure activities and retail. Economic growth in North Somerset is intrinsically linked to the economic growth of the wider region and vice versa.

Collaboration between North Somerset Council and WECA has been strong. Recently the jointly published Growth Strategy for the region has highlighted the enormous contribution of North Somerset to the region and its further potential as one of the vital Growth Zones, which will be central to delivering the future economic growth of the region. The delivery of the Strategy will involve partnership working on attracting inward investment, a joint Local Travel Plan, and extensive delivery of economic and skills projects, benefiting workers and businesses in North Somerset and the wider region. Brownfield housing and town centre regeneration would also be key projects.

Devolution is already delivering a positive impact in the West of England.

The leadership of North Somerset Council, the West of England Mayor, and all existing members of WECA (i.e. the leaders of the three current constituent Unitary Authorities) are supportive of the proposal to expand WECA to include North Somerset.

If North Somerset becomes a constituent member of the expanded West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, it will automatically have representation on the WECA Committee. This would ensure that regional decision making takes account of the challenges and opportunities across this area. It would also ensure that opportunities for growth and reform bring together opportunities covering the full Functional Economic Area of the region, improving outcomes for all residents.