Strategic authority

Greater London Authority

The first strategic authority was the Greater London Authority made up of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly that was established in 2000.^[2]

Combined authorities and combined county authorities

The opportunity to create a "combined authority" was established by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. In 2010, the Government accepted a proposal from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities to establish a Greater Manchester Combined Authority, using the powers of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as an indirectly elected top-tier strategic authority for Greater Manchester.^[3] It was created on 1 April 2011. The Localism Act 2011 allowed additional transfers of powers from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and gave combined authorities a general power of competence.^[4]

By 2016 combined authorities had been created covering all of the metropolitan counties which include conurbations of the largest cities outside London.^[a] In 2016 and 2017, combined authorities started to be created for smaller city regions.^[b] Any principal council can become a constituent member of a combined authority.

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduced a similar type of strategic authority outside Greater London, the "combined county authority". The key difference is that these authorities must include the whole area of one or more two-tier non-metropolitan counties. They may also include unitary authorities, but two-tier non-metropolitan districts cannot be constituent members.^[5][c]

Since 2023 combined (county) authorities are being created for more rural areas.^[d]

English devolution act

In December 2024 the Starmer ministry published a white paper which proposed that the Greater London Authority, combined authorities, and combined county authorities would be designated as strategic authorities. These authorities would have competence over 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, and public safety. The government said it intended to "complete the map" of devolution so every part of England would be covered by one strategic authority and one principal council.^[1][6][7][e]

The Great North

In May 2025, eight strategic authority mayors from the North of England launched a partnership known as "The Great North". The partnership comprises 11 contiguous northern strategic authorities, eight of which are currently mayoral (Greater Manchester, Hull and East Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire) and three others (Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Lancashire). The partnership, whose brand is based on the Great North Run, will lead trade missions and focus on pan-North investment propositions including hosting a Northern investment summit.^[19][20][21] Transport in The Great North partnership area has been integrated under the statutory body Transport for the North since 2018.

Representation in intergovernmental organisations

Some of the strategic authorities of England are represented internationally.

The Mayor of London is responcible for the Greater London Authority's (GLA) international relations.^[22] The London Assembly nominates one member to the Chamber of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities^[23] and the GLA is an associate member of Eurocities and a member of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.^[24]

Within the United Kingdom, strategic authority mayors represent their regions on the Council of Nations and Regions.^[25]

Missions

The Greater London Authority maintains representative offices in Beijing and Brussels.^[26]