The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is the combined authority for West Yorkshire in England. It was established by statutory instrument under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 on 1 April 2014. It is a strategic authority with powers over transport, economic development and regeneration. The metro-mayor of the authority is Tracy Brabin.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | |
|---|---|
 | |
 West Yorkshire within England | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Unicameral |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 2014 |
| Preceded by | West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority |
| Leadership | |
Ben Still since 2018[1] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 11 members |
 | |
| Mayor committees | District Engagement Governance and Audit Investment Overview and Scrutiny Transport |
| Elections | |
Mayor voting system | First past the post |
Combined Authority voting system | Indirect election |
Last Mayor election | 2 May 2024 |
Next Mayor election | 4 May 2028 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Wellington House, 40-50 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 2DE | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editThe abolition of West Yorkshire County Council in 1986 left the county without a single authority covering the whole area, although some council functions including archive services and Trading Standards continued to be provided jointly, through West Yorkshire Joint Services, and the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and West Yorkshire Police continued to operate across the county.
Since April 2007 the Leeds City Region Partnership has evolved to coordinate activities across the Leeds City Region, which includes Barnsley in South Yorkshire, the City of York and three districts of North Yorkshire, as well as the whole of West Yorkshire. Strategic local governance decisions have been made by the joint committee of the Leeds City Region Leaders Board.[2] A multi-area agreement was established in 2008 and since 2011 economic development has been supported by the Leeds City Region LEP, which forms a business-led local enterprise partnership.[3]
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority was proposed in 2012 as part of a "city deal".[4][5] The combined authority covered only West Yorkshire, and not the other areas of the Leeds City Region. In order to create a combined authority the local authorities had to undertake a governance review and produce a scheme of their proposals. A consultation ran from November 2013 to January 2014 and the responses were published in February 2014.[6] The combined authority was established on 1 April 2014, following statutory approval on 31 March 2014.[7][8]
In June 2017 plans for the combined authority to re-brand as the Leeds City Region Combined Authority were shelved, as Bradford councillor Simon Cooke said it would "piss a few people off". Peter Box, then leader of Wakefield Council, agreed with Simon Cooke's opinion.[9]
The combined authority originally did not have a mayor.[10] The constituent members of the WYCA supported a mayor covering all of Yorkshire, but the UK government refused this idea.[11][12] The Mayor of West Yorkshire position was agreed in March 2020, the role's first election took place in May 2021.[13][14][15]
Membership
editThere are a total of ten members in addition to the mayor, with five members being appointed by the constituent councils, three additional members from constituent councils chosen to reflect political balance, one non-constituent council member, and one member nominated by the West Yorkshire Business Board.[16][17] The mayor is a member of the Mayoral Council for England and the Council of the Nations and Regions.
| Name | Membership | Position within nominating authority | Nominating authority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracy Brabin | Constituent | Mayor of West Yorkshire | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | |
| Susan Hinchcliffe | Constituent | Leader of the Council | Bradford City Council | |
| Jane Scullion | Constituent | Leader of the Council | Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council | |
| Carole Pattinson | Constituent | Leader of the Council | Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council | |
| James Lewis | Constituent | Leader of the Council | Leeds City Council | |
| Denise Jeffrey | Constituent | Leader of the Council | Wakefield Metropolitan District Council | |
| Claire Douglas | Non-constituent | Leader of the Council | City of York Council | |
| Mandy Ridyard | Non-constituent | Chair (Business Advisor to the Mayor) | West Yorkshire Business Board (formerly Leeds City Region LEP) | |
| Martin Love | Balance | Councillor | Bradford City Council | |
| Sue Holdsworth | Balance | Councillor | Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council | |
| Alan Lamb | Balance | Leader of the Conservative Group | Leeds City Council | |
Structure
editThe Combined Authority operates through three committees: the West Yorkshire and York Investment Committee, Transport Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Transport Committee replaced the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority. A Governance and Audit Committee also advises the authority in relation to financial management and governance.[18] Public transport policy is delivered through the Metro brand, which was previously the public facing identity of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.
Other roles
editThe West Yorkshire Combined Authority took over the responsibility of payment for the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers in 2015.[19]
References
edit- ^ "Ben Still announced as West Yorkshire Combined Authority's new Managing Director". West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "Leaders Board: Introduction". Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ "About Us: Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)". Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ "Proposal: A Leeds City Region Deal" (PDF). July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ "Six biggest English cities get extra powers". BBC News. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ "Summary of responses to consultations on proposals to establish the Combined Authorities" (PDF). Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ "Scheme for the Establishment of a Combined Authority for West Yorkshire" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ "The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ Beever, Susie (30 June 2017). "Supercouncil shelve Leeds City Region rebranding - because it would 'p*** people off'". huddersfieldexaminer. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ Crowe, Brian (12 February 2019). "What impact have the Metro Mayors had around the UK? | Business Leader News". Business Leader. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ Bounds, Andy (15 January 2020). "Councils sign up to South Yorkshire devolution". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ Parsons, Rob (30 September 2019). "Devolution deal for West Yorkshire could be signed in weeks after 'constructive' talks with government". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "West Yorkshire £1.8bn devolution deal agreed". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ Westwood, Andy (12 March 2020). "Why Government plans to level up pose a challenge for metro mayor candidates". Centre for Cities. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ Parsons, Rob (13 March 2020). "West Yorkshire metro mayor can ask council tax payers to help fund key projects". Yorkshire Evening Post. JPI Media. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "Article 3 - Membership of the Combined Authority" (PDF). West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Committee Details". West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Untitled Page". westyorks-ca.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
- ^ "Facilities for Apprenticeship Grant for Employers: Financial Year 2015 to 2016" (PDF). www.gov.uk. Skills Funding Agency. March 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2016.