Image credit: Freia Turland Leaders across the West today took an important step in further building the relationship between the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council.
The new Mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, held her first public meeting – which was also the first all-in-one meeting of council leaders, with Councillor Mike Bell, the Leader of North Somerset Council, at the table throughout.
This week, leaders across the region championed more than £750 million of new transport funding secured from government – including for work to progress mass transit options between Bath, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. Last week, the new Mayor and Councillor Bell joined forces to welcome £33.5 million of new government funding for schools and hospitals across the West.
Speaking during the meeting, Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, said:
“I’ve said before that I want to do things differently, and know that’s a view shared by my colleagues. Life in our part of the world doesn’t stop at council boundaries, and so neither should our collaboration.
“It already feels like we have turned a page, together. Kevin, Tony, Maggie, Ian, and Mike have given me a warm welcome, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them going forward.
“This is just the start of a new chapter for the West, and thanks to the work of combined authority and council officers and our partners. The last few weeks have seen a start to the growing cross-council and cross-party partnership that we need to deliver for local people.”
Councillor Mike Bell, the Leader of North Somerset Council, said:
“Today’s meeting was another important step in the growing partnership between North Somerset Council and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, working together to achieve the best for our region.
“We will continue to work closely with Helen and the Combined Authority to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. Together, we are delivering major projects including the bus service improvement programme, investment in our schools and hospitals, and support for local businesses.”
It was also the first meeting since 2021 to have a Deputy Mayor for the West of England, with Councillor Kevin Guy, the Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, taking on the role this year. The regional authority meeting was completed by Councillor Tony Dyer, the Leader of Bristol City Council, and Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council – with Councillor Ian Boulton, the Co-Leader of South Gloucestershire Council also in attendance.
