The Cheshire East Council convened an extraordinary meeting to consider recommendations regarding the Cheshire and Warrington devolution programme and to discuss potential changes to the council's decision-making arrangements. The main focus was to discuss the possibility of establishing a Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and to consider a move to a Leader and Cabinet system of decision-making. Here's a breakdown of the key items that were scheduled for discussion:

Cheshire and Warrington Devolution Programme and the Mayoral Combined Authority

The council was asked to consider recommendations from the Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee regarding the Cheshire and Warrington Devolution Programme and the Mayoral Combined Authority. The report pack stated that the Joint Committee had endorsed recommendations for approval by each of the councils in Cheshire and Warrington, including Cheshire East Borough Council, Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council, and Warrington Borough Council.

The recommendations included:

• Approving in principle the establishment of a Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority in accordance with the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
• Delegating authority to the Chief Executive Officer to consent to the making of the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026.
• Agreeing to hold inaugural mayoral elections in May 2027.
• Creating a new joint committee, the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Shadow Board, to provide strategic direction and interim arrangements.
• Approving the Terms of Reference for the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Shadow Board as outlined at Appendix B - Cheshire Warrington Shadow Board Draft Terms of Reference.pdf.
• Amending the Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee Terms of Reference as outlined at Appendix C - Cheshire Warrington Joint Committee Amended Terms Of Reference.pdf.
• Appointing new membership to the Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee.
• Delegating authority to the Chief Executive to take all other steps necessary to establish and implement the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority.

The report pack stated that the Cheshire and Warrington Leaders were committed to achieving the shared vision for the area to be the healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive and growing economy in the UK by 2045. It was argued that devolution and the creation of a Combined Authority offered a key mechanism to achieve this vision with future Government investment and support.

The report pack also included Appendix A - Summary SI and EDB.pdf, summarising the Statutory Instrument - Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Order 2026, and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

The report pack included Appendix D - Equality Analysis - Devolution Cheshire Warrington.pdf, an equality analysis of the proposal for the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and associated devolution deal.

The report pack included APPENDIX E - CW devolution communications and engagement highlight report - August 2025.pdf, a communications and engagement highlight report.

Supplementary information released after the Joint Committee Report, including financial implications, stated that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had confirmed the scale of the 30-year Mayoral Investment Fund that would be paid to the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, as part of the Devolution Priority Programme, if established, would be £21.7m per annum, or just over £650m over the 30-year commitment. That funding is split 50% for capital investment and 50% revenue funding.

It was also confirmed that a minimum of an additional £3m would be made available over the following 3 years, with funding for each year to be confirmed, subject to business planning, bringing the total Mayoral Capacity Funding to a minimum of £4m between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

The Council's Decision-Making Arrangements

The council was asked to consider a report on whether it should move to a Leader and Cabinet form of decision-making, with effect from the Council's Annual General Meeting on 13 May 2026.

The report pack stated that the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill proposes the abolition of the Committee system and that all local authorities which operate committee systems of decision-making will be required to move to Leader and Cabinet systems within one year of enactment of legislation.

The recommendations included:

• Approving a change in the Council's governance arrangements from a Committee System to a Leader and Cabinet system, pursuant to Section 9K of the Local Government Act 2000, with this change taking effect at the Council's Annual General Meeting on 13 May 2026.
• Agreeing the design principles set out in Appendix 2 to the report.
• Appointing a member Task and Finish Group to drive-forward necessary arrangements associated with the introduction of a Leader and Cabinet model of decision-making.
• Noting the key constitutional documents and tasks, as set out at Appendix 3 to this report, which will need to be prepared in advance of the formal change of governance arrangements being implemented.
• Approving a budget of no more than £194,180 to fund the project.

The report pack stated that the effective date of the legislation is expected to be in or around Autumn 2025, thereby necessitating a change to the Council's decision-making arrangements around Autumn 2026, and that this Council, and other local authorities will have no choice but to implement new Leader and Cabinet arrangements by the deadline, but there are clear and important benefits in doing so in advance of the legislative deadline.

The report pack stated that the non-statutory Best Value Notice received in May 2025 required the Council to ensure it has effective governance processes in place that enable decisions and improvements to be made at pace; and also to the LGA Peer Review recommendation to urgently review its decision-making framework, streamline current decision-making arrangements, and give more time and emphasis to scrutiny.

The report pack included The Councils Decision-Making Arrangements.pdf, which stated:

The Council's decision-making and governance arrangements will be easy to understand and will include arrangements that enable people to easily find out about how decisions are made and when forthcoming decisions will be made.