The Combined Authority
The Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) has been established as the devolved body to receive the transfer of powers and funding from national to regional government to address issues that affect the Hull and East Yorkshire area. It means that decisions previously made hundreds of miles away in Westminster can now be made in the region by a directly elected mayor, working with local council leaders, the Police and Crime Commissioner and others, on behalf of the local people, communities and businesses that they represent.
HEYCA’s mayor will work closely with Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to ensure that decisions that affect the region can be made in a way that is most responsive to regional priorities in areas such as economic development and delivering a strategic transport plan. The aim of the combined authority is to encourage greater growth and stronger partnerships between public, private and community leaders in local areas.
How it works
The Combined Authority is led by an elected mayor (currently Luke Campbell), who can make certain autonomous decisions in relation to mayoral functions. This includes things related to transport and the creation of new homes. Decisions that don’t fall under the mayor’s functions are made by an Executive Board. The mayor is a member and chair of this Board.
The HEYCA Executive Board is made up of five voting members: the mayor (currently Luke Campbell), along with two representatives of each council. They are joined by no more than four non-voting members, who can be appointed on an Associate or Non-Constituent basis. These are currently the chairs of the Hull and East Yorkshire Business and Skills Board (both appointed as Associate Members) and the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (appointed as a Non-Constituent Member).
Proposed decisions can be put forward by the mayor or any other member. Each voting member of the Board has one vote and matters are decided by a simple majority which must include the mayor. Certain decisions require the consent of the council which is affected by that decision.
No Board member, including the mayor, has a casting vote when a tie occurs.
The mayor and the Combined Authority will be supported by an -
- Audit and Governance Committee
- a Scrutiny Committee
- the Hull and East Yorkshire Business and Skills Boards
- a senior management team
similar to how Local Authorities operate.
Why it was created
The government says that giving areas “sweeping new powers” will put them on the “fast track to deliver growth, opportunities, transport and housing for local communities.” It says that greater devolution is “key to unlocking regional growth.”
Local leaders in Hull and East Yorkshire have said that a devolution deal provides new opportunities for residents here, including -
- new investment
- extra jobs
- more homes
and that the hundreds of millions of pounds that come to the region as a result, come with powers that mean decisions are taken here rather than in London.
Where it's based
With HEYCA being in its infancy, no permanent base has yet been established. Provision has been made for the Combined Authority’s existing team to work between Hull City Council’s Guildhall and East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s County Hall. Official HEYCA meetings and other gatherings have been held at the Ergo Business Centre close to the Humber Bridge.
The Combined Authority’s registered office address is -
Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA)
Offices at The Guildhall
Alfred Gelder Street
Hull
East Yorkshire
HU1 2AA
How much money does the Combined Authority bring to the area?
The deal reached to create HEYCA has unlocked a £400 million pound investment fund - money that is moving from Westminster to decision-makers in our area. £24.6 million was made available for financial year 2024/25 to support various projects related to transport, regeneration, employment, house building, and flooding and coastal erosion programmes. The devolution deal also includes Hull and East Yorkshire being brought into Northern Powerhouse Rail, a body that is seeking to electrify and increase the line speed between Hull and Leeds and Hull and Sheffield.
Will my council tax be going up?
The mayor will be given powers to raise a charge (technically called a precept) on council tax, as is the case in other mayoral combined authorities around the country. However, throughout the country, this power has rarely been used.
What is the political make-up of the Combined Authority?
A number of figures within the Combined Authority may be representatives of political parties. This could include the mayor, the two elected representatives on the Board from each council, the Police and Crime Commissioner (a non-constituent member of the Executive Board), and the members of the Audit and Scrutiny Committees.
Membership of the Audit and Scrutiny Committees is determined by the combined political make up of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council, though the Audit Committee will also include one independent person (i.e. not an elected member) who will be appointed following a recruitment process.
Who sits on the Audit and Scrutiny Committees?
For the Audit Committee, four elected members will be nominated from Hull City Council and four elected members will be nominated from East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It will also include an independent person (i.e. not an elected member) who will be appointed following a recruitment process.
For the Scrutiny Committee, six elected members will be nominated from Hull City Council and six elected members will be nominated from East Riding of Yorkshire Council. A chair and vice-chair will be appointed, with the chair not being a member of a registered political party of which the mayor is also a member.
I’ve seen that the government is cutting down on councils, where district councils are being/have been merged into bigger authorities (such as in North Yorkshire and Cumbria) – so why are we getting a Combined Authority in Hull and East Yorkshire?
Both Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are unitary authorities, so already sit within the government’s preferred structure for local government. There are no plans to merge those councils into one body. But the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority can work with those two councils together across the whole of the region to address regional-level matters that affect everyone, such as transport. This can encourage greater growth and stronger partnerships between public, private and community leaders in our region.