• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday August 4 2026

West of England joins ‘top tier’ of mayoral regions

In a dream come true for every football fan, Bristol is to play at the top level, alongside Manchester and Liverpool.

Sadly for City and Rovers supporters, it’s not soccer. Happily for the West’s economy, it’s about mayoral regions.

The government confirmed this week that the West of England will join the top tier of mayoral authorities – which it says will unlock a new wave of powers and funding.

The home of the country’s fastest-growing regional economy will be granted Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) status following an application from Mayor Helen Godwin supported by council leaders.

This enhanced level of devolution is already having a real impact in places like Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

The move represents a major overhaul and recognises the West of England’s continued progress and enormous further potential to deliver more for local people.

It means that the region is jointly front of the queue for further devolution, with greater local control over transport, skills, housing, investment, public services on the way.

Under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act (2026), Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities currently have access to a range of benefits that have not previously been available to the West of England.

These include multi-year, flexible funding; a reduction in competitive funding requirements, with direct allocations to invest; access to the full range of Devolution Framework powers and the ability to formally request any new devolved power from government.

The government’s vision for devolution, announced by the new Prime Minister on Friday, will see significant powers transferred from Westminster and Whitehall to mayoral authorities in the coming years.

Further proposed reforms include:

• Regions getting a share of local income tax revenues from 2028, to help ensure that more of the benefits of economic growth are retained and reinvested in the West of England, supporting long-term planning and investment – along with the powers to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy
• Regionally-funded transport projects worth up to £500 million no longer requiring government approval in most cases
• Faster powers to take greater control of buses, alongside integrated ticketing and more influence over local rail services
• More control over skills, employment support and vocational education to better match training with local opportunities – including a broader role over funding for 16-19 year olds
• Greater devolution of housing and regeneration funding to help deliver the homes and infrastructure the region needs, with further devolution of Homes England’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme
• New freedoms over investment and innovation funding, helping back the West of England’s globally significant growth sectors – driving our £17 billion Investment Prospectus – alongside greater control over cultural and sporting investment
• Closer alignment of public services, with police, fire and health boundaries expected to align more closely with mayoral authority areas, supporting joined-up services and preventative approaches

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “This is an important milestone for the West of England and further recognition that our region is ready for more powers and more responsibility.

“Becoming an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority puts the West of England in the top tier of devolution. It strengthens our voice nationally, gives us greater freedom to invest in our priorities and helps ensure more of the region’s success is felt by the people and places who create it.

“People rightly expect the decisions that affect their daily lives to be taken closer to home. Whether it’s improving buses and rail services, building more affordable homes, or helping people access better jobs and skills opportunities, we know our communities and are best-placed to deliver for them.

“This is another major step towards ensuring that more decisions, funding and accountability sit here in the West of England, where they belong.”