The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset. The main purpose of WECA is to promote economic development, regeneration, and transportation within the region. It has a total operating budget of £130 million, with an additional £120 million capital budget in 2024, and 300 employees. This equates to a spend of £250 per resident, and almost £1,000,000,000 during the mayor’s 4 year term. Its main responsibilities are:
- Economic Development: WECA works to stimulate economic growth and create jobs within the region. This includes supporting local businesses, fostering innovation, and attracting investment. Its spends £10 million to £20 million annually on this, including projects such as like the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
- Transportation: The authority is responsible for strategic transport planning, aiming to improve public transport, reduce congestion, and enhance connectivity within the region. This includes overseeing major transport projects and infrastructure improvements. Annual spending on transport ranges from £50 million to £100 million, including projects like MetroBus, rail improvements, and active travel schemes (e.g., cycling and walking infrastructure).
- Housing and Planning: WECA plays a role in housing development and spatial planning, ensuring that there is a coordinated approach to building new homes and planning for future growth.
- Skills and Education: WECA invests in skills training, apprenticeships, and education programs to align with local economic needs. Annual spending in this area is typically around £10 million to £20 million, depending on the number of training programs and partnerships with educational institutions.
- Environment and Energy: WECA allocates funding for environmental sustainability projects, such as reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy, mainly through not for profit Retrofit West. Spending between £5 million to £10 million annually
- Funding and Investment: The authority manages and allocates funding for various projects and initiatives aimed at regional development. This includes securing and distributing government grants and other forms of investment.
- Overheads: £5 million to £10 million is allocated annually to the operational costs of running the Combined Authority, including staffing, governance, and administration. This typically accounts for.
The Mayor of the West of England, who is elected by the residents of the region, leads the Combined Authority and plays a key role in setting its strategic direction and priorities.
We have made a number of attempts to communicate with the WECA comms team to confirm our understanding of WECA’s remit but they have failed to respond.
The Candidates
To date we have 4 candidates attending:
- Helen Godwin, Labour
- Ian Scott, Independent
- Mary Page, Green Party
- Oli Henman, Lib Dems
- Steve Smith, Conservatives
The closing date for applicants is 25 March 2025. More information on each of the candidates is available here.