techUK insight for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: LGA policy summary
The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP, introduced the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on 10 July 2025.
This Bill, building on the Government’s English Devolution White Paper (Dec 2024), marks the biggest shift of powers from Whitehall to local leaders in 50 years, profoundly impacting all tiers of local government both early and advanced in their devolution journey.
In April techUK signed an MoU with the Local Government Association to promote the use of digital technology with for the benefit of citizens and communities. The LGA stated it has long called for genuine devolution, enabling every council to secure arrangements suited to their communities.
This is a significant change in English Local Government and introduces new powers, finance options and competences for Mayors, Councillors, and local leaders. For techUK members this can present new opportunities to work with local leaders to deliver place based change and growth. I’d encourage government, local and national, to ensure industry is in the room and partnered when seeking to deliver these new ways of working.
Matt Robinson
Head of Nations and Regions, techUK
As part of our MoU with the LGA (you can read more details here) we are collaborating and working on providing a briefing with more details for techUK members in due course.
The Bill introduces a new tier of governance in England, known as ‘Strategic Authorities’ (SAs). These come in three forms: foundation SAs, mayoral SAs, and established mayoral SAs. Their functions span seven key areas of competence – transport and local infrastructure, skills and employment support, housing and strategic planning, economic development and regeneration, environment and net zero, health and public service reform, and public safety. These thematic areas create a flexible framework for Government to devolve additional powers in the future.
Expanding Local Leadership and Devolution
To strengthen local governance, the Bill enables the Secretary of State, with council consent, to designate certain councils as single foundation strategic authorities. It also streamlines how combined authorities (CAs) and combined county authorities (CCAs) are created and expanded, offering both locally led and centrally driven routes. Where local agreement on devolution cannot be reached, ministers gain the power to establish or expand an SA and even require it to have a mayor.
Decision-Making and Accountability
Decision-making within CAs and CCAs will be standardised, with simple majority voting, while retaining specific provisions for mayoral and non-mayoral bodies. Once designated as an established mayoral SA, an authority cannot lose this status. Mayors will also gain the ability to appoint up to seven commissioners to lead on the key areas of competence, supported by new scrutiny and oversight measures.
Support for Local Leaders
To better recognise the work of local leaders, the Bill allows CAs and CCAs to pay allowances to members with special responsibilities, mirroring arrangements already in place for local authorities. Mayors will also be able to use mayoral precepts more flexibly, funding the full range of mayoral CA and CCA functions. Additionally, mayoral bodies gain borrowing powers, subject to initial approval from the Secretary of State, while transport levies on constituent councils remain tightly focused on covering transport-related costs.
Broader Governance Changes
The Bill also makes it easier for the Secretary of State to confer additional powers on the Greater London Authority without primary legislation. It prevents MPs, peers, and other legislators from serving as mayors of strategic authorities to avoid conflicts of interest. It also clarifies that any new functions granted to mayors are exercised on behalf of their combined authorities or CCAs.
Greater Transparency and Reporting
The Bill updates annual devolution reporting requirements, ensuring they reflect the introduction of SAs, track areas adopting new arrangements, and highlight where existing SAs gain additional functions or funding. This ensures transparency as England’s governance model evolves and more areas progress along their devolution journey.
New Powers for Mayors and Strategic Authorities
The Bill extends the general power of competence to all combined and county authorities, giving mayoral bodies full flexibility while enabling non-mayoral authorities to focus on economic development and regeneration.
Mayors gain the power to convene key local partners on strategic priorities and have a new duty to collaborate with neighbouring mayors where it benefits economic, social, or environmental wellbeing. Formal requests for collaboration must be published, with clear reasons required if declined.
Transport and Infrastructure Reforms
The Bill strengthens local transport leadership by making combined authorities the sole local transport authority for their area, overseeing planning, bus services, and concessionary travel. Constituent councils must align with regional transport plans.
Allowing authorities to manage civil traffic enforcement with local consent.
Requiring mayors to designate and manage key route networks, with reporting duties to the Secretary of State.
Enabling agreements on trunk road works with strategic highways companies.
Devolving approval of Transport for London land disposals to the Mayor of London.
Together, these changes strengthen mayoral leadership, streamline collaboration, and give combined authorities greater control over local transport and infrastructure.
Skills, Housing and Growth: New Powers for Strategic Authorities
The Bill hands mayoral and strategic authorities (SAs) greater control over adult education, giving them a duty to provide training for over-19s, help adults gain essential qualifications, and remove tuition fees for certain statutory entitlements. They will also share funding powers with the Secretary of State to boost adult participation in training.
On housing and planning, mayors of combined and county authorities will gain powers similar to the Mayor of London such as calling in strategic planning applications, issuing mayoral development orders, charging a community infrastructure levy, and managing housing and land functions. Mayoral development corporations will now be able to drive not just urban regeneration but also new settlements, including greenfield developments.
For economic growth, combined authorities must assess local economic conditions and publish local growth plans, aligning priorities with Government and public bodies. Mayors will also gain grant-giving powers to support constituent councils, including funding for highways and infrastructure delivery.
Health and Wellbeing: A New Duty for Strategic Authorities
The Bill introduces a new health duty for all combined and county authorities (CAs and CCAs), requiring them to consider how their decisions can improve local health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. This responsibility also applies directly to mayors of mayoral combined authorities, ensuring that health and wellbeing are embedded across all local decision-making.
Together, these changes strengthen local leadership over skills, housing, regeneration, and economic development, giving mayors more tools to shape their region’s future. By streamlining decision-making and strengthening local leadership, the Bill seeks to drive more joined-up, place-based solutions that better meet the needs of communities.
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Matt is leading techUK’s work with members and stakeholders across the UK to increase the Local Digital Capital across the UK’s nation and regions, build communities and to ensure that digital technology plays a key part the post-COVID-19 levelling-up recovery.
Prior to joining techUK, Matt worked for several national education charities and membership bodies to develop their regional partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and other stakeholders. He’s also worked with local authority leaders and other stakeholders to engage communities, work with elected members and improve public services.
He holds a BA in Politics from the University of York and an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds. Away from work he’s a keen football fan and golfer.
If you’d like to find out more about our work in the nations and regions please get in touch with Matt:
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
If you’d like to learn more about techUK, or want to get involved, get in touch.
Our Local Public Services Programme helps techUK members to navigate local government. We champion innovation that can create truly digital local public services helping to create thriving, productive and safer places for all. Visit the programme page here
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Alison Young is the Associate Director Local Public Services.
Alison has background in International Trade & Investment, with experience in the public, private and third sector, advising on international trade, new markets, inward investment and working closely with UK cities and regions around investment into innovation and partnerships and technology. Prior to joining techUK, she has her own consulting business and was Head of Global Investment with the Connected Places Catapult. This role had a focus on FDI around the built environment and mobility, working across NetZero mobility projects in the UK and globally. She worked closely with the Innovation Districts Group, to foster and network of knowledge sharing and helped set up the Freeport Innovation Network, to foster innovation in the context of freeports with a focus on investment.
She spent six years living and working in the Middle East, with the Department for Business and Trade. Based first in Oman, leading on a number of sectors, from Education to Infrastructure, then based in the UAE, setting up the Technology and Smart Cities sector, with a core focus on AI and Fintech.
She is passionate about economic growth for the UK, to create jobs and opportunities; the green agenda and the decarbonisation of transport. She has a degree in Russian Studies MA, from the University of Edinburgh and is currently learning Arabic.
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy Modha
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
If you’d like to learn more about techUK, or want to get involved, get in touch.
