Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority Proposal

Executive Summary

Please note - this document was produced before the consultation took place. The devolution process is now underway, and the creation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) was signed off by the Government on 19 September 2024. 

Hull and East Yorkshire has had a long-standing ambition to improve the economy for the area.

Devolution provides the opportunity to build on a long and successful history of partnership working between Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to deliver a real step-change.

This proposal sets out the case for devolution of powers and funding from Government to Hull and East Yorkshire. Together with Government we have negotiated a deal that will provide £400m of additional funding to help harness the potential of the area and help to create economic opportunities for everyone. This deal proposes the creation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) which covers the area of the two local authorities.

Establishing an MCA is a formal, legal step, allowing closer working on key priorities such as -

  • connectivity
  • productivity
  • inclusivity
  • sustainability

The creation of a Hull and East Yorkshire’s MCA would not result in the merger or take-over of councils but supports delivery of improvements across the whole area.

Delivery of devolution from Government to Hull and East Yorkshire will -

  • provide new and additional money and resources to invest in our economy, communities and places, with the promise of more in future spending cycles
  • support for accessible jobs to be created addressing the long-term challenges for people living in the area particularly in our more deprived communities such as parts of -
    • Hull
    • Goole
    • Bridlington
    • Withernsea
  • Increase local decision-making on investments affecting our area
  • Create new and enhanced relationships with Government helping to directly influence decisions affecting our area
  • Provide the certainty for more investment by the private sector in the area

A Mayoral Devolution Deal offers the opportunity to leverage our sectoral strengths in the transition to a more productive, low carbon economy whilst levelling up the living standards and economic opportunities for our most deprived communities.

The current deal on the table is the first rung on the devolution ladder. In future, if this proposal is supported, Hull and East Yorkshire would work towards further devolution giving greater benefits for the area.

Hull and East Yorkshire is the last part of Yorkshire to negotiate a devolution deal.

Hull and East Yorkshire is the last part of Yorkshire to agree a devolution deal with Government.

A map showing the Yorkshire region, highlighting that Hull and East Yorkshire will be combined

What's in the deal

  • The formation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, and the election of a directly elected Mayor to provide overall vision and leadership, seek the best value for taxpayer’s money, be directly accountable to the area’s electorate and to receive new powers on transport, housing and skills. This comes with £2 million of Mayoral Capacity Funding over 3 years (2024/25 – 2026/27) to support the implementation of the deal
  • Control of a £13.34 million per year allocation of investment funding, worth £400 million over 30 years, 35% capital and 65% revenue, to be invested by the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to drive growth and take forward its priorities over the long term. This is a flexible investment fund that will be used to invest in local priorities across skills, innovation and business support, as well as to invest in capital projects on a strategic and long-term basis across our connectivity and place-based priorities. It would also provide collateral to plan major investments whilst responding to unforeseen opportunities that align with the MCA’s investment priorities. In addition, UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) planning and delivery at a strategic level from 2025/26, subject to funding, policy and delivery considerations at the next Spending Review
  • Up to £20 million capital funding in the current Spending Review period to support our economic growth priorities as well as transport, flood and coastal erosion programmes across the area, a brownfield employment programme in Hull, and a coastal regeneration programme in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This funding will provide a vital injection to bring forward schemes that are ready to go, supporting our vital industries to expand, relieving pinch points on our roads as well as helping to address some development challenges
  • New powers to shape local skills provision to better meet the needs of the local economy and local people, including devolution of the core Adult Education Budget, as well as input into the new Local Skills Improvement Plans
  • £4.6 million for the building of new homes on brownfield land in 2024/25, providing essential funds so we can continue to build new homes in places where people need them, along with new powers to drive the regeneration of the area and to build more affordable homes including compulsory purchase powers and the ability to establish Mayoral Development Corporations
  • A commitment for Government to consider the development of a specialist med-tech business park in Hull, including exploring support for Phase 1 of the project, subject to further discussions; and support for expanding Offshore Wind manufacturing in the area.
  • A commitment to rail electrification, cutting trans-pennine journey times
  • Responsibility for a consolidated local transport settlement for the Hull & East Yorkshire MCA, along with new powers to improve and better integrate local transport, including the ability to introduce bus franchising, and control of appropriate local transport functions commitment to explore a new rail partnership with Great British Railways, once established, so their priorities can be taken into consideration in future decisions regarding their local network
  • Closer working on pan-Humber matters, with Observer representation from Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero on the Humber Energy Board, through which they will support the development of a Net Zero Strategy
  • A collaborative partnership to share expertise and insight across culture, heritage, sport, communities and the visitor economy