• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Wednesday April 15 2026

Combined authority ‘jigsaw’ completed as ‘missing piece’ jumps on board

North Somerset Council looks set to join the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority after a majority of local residents and businesses backed the move.

Following eight-week consultation, 1,273 responses showed 56.7 per cent in favour, 37.6 per cent opposed, and 5.7 per cent unsure.

The consultation, which closed on Monday, April 13, followed the Mayor and council leaders approving proposals at their meeting in January to launch the consultation, and negotiations with national government securing an additional £15 million in the short term for projects in the region – should North Somerset join.

An extra £1 million has also been allocated by the government to assist with the process of the local authority joining Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire councils as a full member of the regional authority, led by the Mayor of the West of England.

The funding adds to unprecedented investment announced for the area since May, bringing the total to almost £1 billion, while the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill makes its way through Parliament and as regional mayors and authorities continue to gain new powers and funding.

The government has also committed that, should the expansion proceed, future funding will “take account of an expanded WECA geography and population”: likely increasing future allocations of funding transport improvements and a major new national housing fund.

North Somerset joining would add 23 per cent to the combined authority’s population, to a total of 1.225 million.

Altogether, the West has the strongest recent economic growth of any region in the country and has grown at four times the national average since 2019.

The consultation also followed the Government’s English Devolution White Paper, which requires every local authority area to be part of a strategic authority. The Government has confirmed that the West of England is the best fit for North Somerset and asked the region to seek views before any decision is taken.

In September 2025, North Somerset Council voted to approve progressing plans for a consultation, followed by the Mayor and council leaders doing the same in October.

Ministers will consider the consultation findings, with North Somerset Council’s meeting next month set to do the same. Subject to approval from the Secretary of State, legislation is anticipated to be drafted to be considered at the Mayor and council leaders’ meeting in October.

Subject to the parliamentary calendar, the legislative process would be expected to take around eight weeks, with North Somerset able to become a full member of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority from late 2026 or early 2027.

The next election of the Mayor of the West of England will take place in May 2029.

Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England, said: “North Somerset has felt like the missing piece of our devolution jigsaw over the last nine years, not only for all local council leaders but for businesses and residents around the region.

“We will carefully consider the detailed consultation results, as we work together to continue the momentum we have built up.

“It’s clear that the West’s future will be one of real collaboration and partnership, and we can see that people support that.

“Since May, we have secured around £1 billion of investment from national government – a figure that, like our regional economy – will keep growing as we make the West Country’s voice heard in this new chapter.”

Councillor Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council, said: “We welcome the results of this consultation, which show a preference among respondents for joining the West of England Combined Authority.

“The clear message coming through from those that took part is that people believe we are stronger together – able to make faster progress in reducing inequality and unlocking access to more impactful funding that can deliver real benefits for North Somerset.

“While we look forward to receiving the additional detail and data from the consultation in the coming weeks, we are encouraged by the headline statistics so far.”