The Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) met for the first today in a ‘momentous occasion’ for the region.
The board met at the Ergo Business Centre, in Hessle, for what was largely a procedural meeting to undertake a series steps including the approval of the authority’s constitution and budget, as well as appointing individuals to various positions.
In September 2024, the Government signed off on a devolution deal for Hull and East Yorkshire which meant the region would receive a new combined authority (CA), a devolved body which would be given powers that would otherwise be enacted from Westminster. The two local authorities in the region, Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, are the two constituent members of the CA.
A meeting co-chaired by the leaders of the two councils Cllr Mike Ross (leader of Hull City Council) and Cllr Anne Handley (leader of East Riding Council) oversaw several appointments including that of Mark Rogers as the Interim Chief Executive of and Head of Paid Service for the CA and Jonathan Evison, Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner as a non-constituent member of the CA.
The CA’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year was also approved in the meeting. The budget states the CA will have a total income of around £27m, mainly coming from Government grants such as the Investment Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The largest operational cost listed in the budget for 2025/26 is that of the Mayoral election on Thursday, May 1 which is set to cost £1.25m.
The leaders of both councils – who are candidates to be the CA’s first elected mayor – rejoiced in the event which they both described being “a momentous occasion,” with Cllr Ross adding that, after missing out on the benefits devolution can bring for a long time, “it’s time we start seeing those benefits being felt in Hull and East Riding – it’s time to get the show on the road.”
Cllr Handley said the first meeting of the CA is “wonderful for the region and a great step forward,” adding that “we’re on a journey and there is no stopping us now!”
The next meeting of the CA is now set to take place after the mayoral election in May. The full list of candidates announced so far for the election is as follows:
- Reform UK: Luke Campbell
- Yorkshire Party : Rowan Halstead
- Conservative Party : Anne Handley
- Green Party: Kerry Harrison
- Labour Party : Margaret Pinder
- Liberal Democrats : Mike Ross
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