The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meeting scheduled for Friday, 10 July 2026, was set to discuss the appointment of a new Combined Authority Returning Officer (CARO) due to an upcoming mayoral election. The meeting's agenda also included appointments to various GMCA committees and a review of the Greater Manchester Race Equity Framework.

Appointment of Combined Authority Returning Officer

A key item on the agenda was the proposed appointment of Andrew Lightfoot, the Deputy Group Chief Executive and Managing Director of GMCA, as the Combined Authority Returning Officer (CARO). This appointment was deemed necessary due to the resignation of the previous CARO, Caroline Simpson, on 29 June 2026. The report highlighted that the GMCA is legally required to appoint a CARO in accordance with The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017¹ to ensure the proper administration of elections for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor. The upcoming mayoral election is scheduled for 30 July 2026, following a vacancy in the office of mayor. The CARO's duties include publishing election notices, administering the nomination process, producing and distributing candidate election address booklets, collating local totals, and declaring the result.

Greater Manchester Appointments and Nominations

The meeting was scheduled to consider and approve the appointment of councillors to various GMCA committees for the 2026/27 period. This included appointments to the GMCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee, GMCA Standards Committee, GMCA Resources Committee, GMCA Investment Sub-Committee, GMCA Audit Committee, GMCA Waste & Recycling Committee, Bee Network Committee, Greater Manchester Accessible Transport Ltd (GMATL) Board, GM Culture & Social Impact Fund Committee, Green City Region Board, Greater Manchester Green City Region Partnership Board, GMCA Children's Board, Air Quality Administration Committee, GM Clean Air Scrutiny Committee, Police Fire and Crime Panel, Police Fire and Crime Steering Group, GM Integrated Care Partnership Board, Transport for the North Board, Rail North Committee, Transport for the North General Purposes Committee, Transport for the North Audit & Governance Committee, Transport for the North Scrutiny Committee, and the Growth Company Board.

Greater Manchester Race Equity Framework

A report was scheduled to provide a progress update on the implementation of the Greater Manchester Race Equity Framework. The report was expected to outline key deliverables for the next 12 months and highlight collective progress, good practice, shared challenges, and areas requiring further focus. The discussion was anticipated to involve contributions from Majid Hussain, Director of Equality and Inclusion at the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board², Kofo Kego Oyeleye, Chair of the GM Race Equality Panel, and Diane Edwards, Chair of the GM Civic Leadership Programme Steering Group. The report was expected to emphasise the need for sustained leadership, accountability, improved data collection and publication, and continued collaboration to address racism and racial inequalities across Greater Manchester.

Prevention Demonstrator – Moving to Delivery

The meeting was also scheduled to receive a report from Warren Heppolette, Prevention Demonstrator Director, detailing Greater Manchester's approach to implementing its role as the UK's first national Prevention Demonstrator. The report was expected to focus on the importance of a fully realised Live Well ambition for GM's preventative system, the evaluation framework for measuring impact, and the strategy for system-wide mobilisation. The approach to connecting learning from preventative initiatives with planning and budget-setting processes was also to be discussed.

Private Hire Vehicle Support Fund

A report presented by Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive, was to seek approval to revise the Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Support Fund. The proposed revision involved removing the loan element and transitioning to a grant-only model. This change was intended to assist eligible private hire vehicle owners in replacing older, non-compliant vehicles with newer, compliant ones. The report also indicated that members would discuss the need to lobby the government regarding out-of-area working for vehicles licensed in authorities with lower vehicle status requirements.