Council to discuss devolution plans for county

A new combined authority is set to cover the three council areas

Councillors in parts of Cheshire will be asked to sign-off on plans to set up a combined authority for the county and pave the way for the next steps towards devolution.

Cheshire West and Chester is the first of the region's three councils to formally put the decision to its elected members later.

They will be asked to decide whether or not to approve the principle of setting up a Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, which will have powers in areas like housing and transport.

Cheshire East and Warrington councils will vote over the same question next week.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is the first of the three local authorities in the area to put a vote on devolution to their councillors

The three councils were given permission to move forward with devolution by the government in February after local leaders pushed for the devolved powers and funding.

Under the plans, a combined authority is set to come into being early next year.

The county was set to hold its first mayoral elections in May 2026, but they were delayed by a year after a request from leaders in the area.

Warrington Council will meet on 15 September to ratify the proposal while Cheshire East Council will hold its meeting on 17 September.