'WECA area missing out on millions amid rows'

After the mayor had his image painted on the side of a bus, the then chief executive wrote a highly critical report warning it was “unlawful self-promotion”

Former senior figures at the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) have warned the area is missing out on millions of pounds of government funding.

WECA was put into special measures in March, and is being monitored by the government. It follows a report by auditors, who warned of a "sense of division", with "delay and misunderstanding".

WECA is led by Labour mayor Dan Norris, and includes Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. It deals with regional transport, housing and adult skills, but has seen rows with leaders of those councils.

Mr Norris told the BBC: "Two thirds of a billion pounds has come to our region under me."

In 2022 Mr Norris accused Toby Savage, who was then Conservative leader of South Gloucestershire Council, of "living in a parallel universe", and having "delusions of grandeur".

On Thursday, Mr Savage said WECA meetings were bruising. "We have seen with this metro mayor that wanting to play politics and politic has been a big feature of his tenure."

Mr Savage, who is no longer a councillor, advises other local authorities on good governance.

Toby Savage said WECA meetings were tense

There has also been internal strife. A string of senior officers have come and gone.

After the mayor had his image painted on the side of a bus, the then chief executive wrote a highly critical report warning it was "unlawful self-promotion".

He has since left.

Some are warning such division and disagreement has cost the West.

For three years Liberal Democrat Winston Duguid chaired WECA’s Scrutiny Committee.

"I’ve seen some conflict, but I haven’t seen conflict like this before," he said.

"There’s a real danger that we’re losing out on some opportunities."

'Incredibly dysfunctional'

Conservative Geoff Gollop, who until May chaired WECA’s audit committee, has similar concerns.

"We were being incredibly dysfunctional. That’s bound to have played a part in considering whether money might come here for projects – or go to other parts of the country.”

Mr Gollop added: "We’ll never know how much we might have missed out, but it is very much the fact that the amount of funding that flowed on future deals was not as significant as happened to some of the other combined authorities."

Dan Norris will stand down next May, following his election to Parliament to represent North East Somerset and Hanham.

He had considered doing both jobs, but was prevented from doing so by the Labour party.

Former Bristol City Council councillor Helen Godwin has been selected as Labour’s candidate for next year’s West of England mayoral election.

Meanwhile, former lord mayor Steve Smith has been announced as the Conservative candidate, and the council's deputy leader Heather Mack has been selected as the Green Party candidate.