Devolution funding confirmation

The Government has confirmed its Mayoral Investment Fund allocations for areas on the devolution priority programme.

Importantly, it has confirmed:

• Cheshire and Warrington would receive £21.7million per annum over the next 30 years. The first instalment in 2026-27 would be £10.85million, in advance of inaugural Mayoral elections in May 2027
• This would take our area’s overall allocation to more than £650million in funding over the 30-year period. This funding is split 50% for capital investment and 50% revenue funding‍

These sums are a slight increase on the illustrative allocations (£20million per annum) included within the published Cheshire and Warrington Joint Committee report, and critically the funding is now guaranteed for the full 30-year period.  

Alongside confirmation of the Mayoral Investment Fund, further instalments of the Mayoral Capacity Grant have also been confirmed. It was already known that, subject to a positive devolution decision, a grant of £1million would be released in 2025-26 to support the local costs of creating a Mayoral Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington. It has now been confirmed that a minimum of an additional £3million will be made available over the following three years.

This will bring the total Mayoral Capacity Funding to a minimum of £4million between 2025-26 and 2028-29, to support the costs of establishing, mobilising, and operating the new authority as well as reflecting the ongoing transfer of funds and functions from the Government to the Combined Authority over the first few years.  

The funding now confirmed only represents the base funding for the Combined Authority and its investment programme. It is expected that additional funds would be received as the Combined Authority’s functions increase, including investment for transport, skills and housing.

All funding is subject to all three councils voting to proceed with the establishment of a Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington. Having certainty of funding arrangements for Cheshire and Warrington will aid and support the area's elected members in being able to debate and vote with as much confirmed information to hand as possible.  

The three councils will vote on whether to progress with the establishment of a Combined Authority as follows:

• Tuesday 9 September – at Full Council, Cheshire West and Chester councillors will consider endorsing and recommending to Cabinet the establishment of a Combined Authority
• Wednesday 10 September – Cheshire West and Chester Cabinet will vote on whether to progress with devolution‍
• Monday 15 September – at Full Council, Warrington councillors will consider endorsing and recommending to Cabinet the establishment of a Combined Authority‍
• Wednesday 17 September – at Full Council, Cheshire East councillors will vote on whether to progress with devolution‍
• Monday 22 September – Warrington’s Cabinet will vote on whether to progress with devolution‍

For more information about devolution for Cheshire and Warrington, including some helpful FAQs, visit: 

cheshireandwarringtondevolution.com/devolution