OpenLegislation

Explanatory note

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23) (“the 2026 Act”) established strategic authorities, a new category of public authority in England which includes combined authorities (“CAs”) and combined county authorities (“CCAs”).

The 2026 Act confers functions on, and provides default governance arrangements for, strategic authorities. The functions conferred relate to strategic authorities’ areas of competence. These are set out in section 2 of the 2026 Act and include transport and local infrastructure; skills and employment support; housing and strategic planning; and economic development and regeneration.

These Regulations amend and revoke provisions in secondary legislation which duplicate or contradict provisions regarding CAs’ and CCAs’ functions and governance arrangements in the 2026 Act, and make further incidental, consequential and supplementary provision. The amendments and revocations apply to the secondary legislation governing the following CAs and CCAs—

  1. 1.

    Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CA (in Part 2 of these Regulations);

  2. 2.

    Devon and Torbay CCA (in Part 3);

  3. 3.

    East Midlands CCA (in Part 4);

  4. 4.

    Greater Lincolnshire CCA (in Part 5);

  5. 5.

    Greater Manchester CA (in Part 6);

  6. 6.

    Hull and East Yorkshire CA (in Part 7);

  7. 7.

    Lancashire CCA (in Part 8);

  8. 8.

    Liverpool City Region CA (in Part 9);

  9. 9.

    North East Mayoral CA (in Part 10);

  10. 10.

    South Yorkshire Mayoral CA (in Part 11);

  11. 11.

    Tees Valley CA (in Part 12);

  12. 12.

    West Midlands CA (in Part 13);

  13. 13.

    West of England CA (in Part 14);

  14. 14.

    West Yorkshire CA (in Part 15); and

  15. 15.

    York and North Yorkshire CA (in Part 16).

These Regulations revoke the following instruments in their entirety: the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1146); the East Midlands Combined County Authority (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/602); the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1142); the Tees Valley Combined Authority (Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/250); the Tees Valley Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1145); the West Midlands Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1144); the West of England Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1143); and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (Adult Education Functions) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/601).

Part 17 revokes the Combined Authorities (Adult Education Functions) (Amendment) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/879).

Part 18 makes consequential amendments to the Transport Levying Bodies Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/2789) (“the 1992 Regulations”). Section 14 of the 2026 Act amends section 74 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (c. 41) (“the 1988 Act”) to make all CAs and CCAs transport levying bodies. The consequential amendments amend the 1992 Regulations to apply to all CAs and CCAs, amend the definition of relevant expenditure for CAs and CCAs to align with the definition in section 74 of the 1988 Act, and clarify apportionment of transport levies for CAs and CCAs.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen. An impact assessment has been produced in relation to the 2026 Act and copies can be obtained at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/63710/documents/7405 or from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF.