Combined authorities "must reduce institutional blurring" with local government

Combined authorities must begin to reduce the “institutional blurring” with historic local government structures that has occurred with their formation, a report by law firm Bond Dickinson and accountancy firm Grant Thornton has said.

In the report, Combined authorities: signs of success, the two firms said: “As greater clarity over their roles, functions, and profiles of individual mayors, emerge, it will help their legitimacy going forwards.”

Other findings from the report include that:

• Combined authorities “stand and fall on their ability to add value through targeted investment, strategic co-ordination, joined up policy and the levering in of additional resources (particularly additional private sector funds)”.
• Innovative performance assessment is required to create opportunities to think more expansively about policy innovation.
• In order to progress devolution, it is imperative that regular benchmarking and reporting continues to occur.

Bond Dickinson and Grant Thornton said: “It is still early days for most combined authorities (CAs) and the political and administrative difficulties of adopting this model are not to be under-estimated. However, early signs are emerging of their potential to innovate and drive success.”

The report noted that there was currently no single template for measuring the future success of CAs and mayors. “Each will need to be assessed against their own priorities and commitments. However using a rounded set of metrics will give a sense of balance and provide objective performance measurements to aid sustainable growth of places over time.”

The report provides a detailed analysis of the legal, funding and governance frameworks of each of the CAs.

The two firms urged the Government to reopen conversations about meaningful fiscal devolution, “as it offers real hope to people and businesses buying into their places and making sustainable local investments”.

They added that unless devolution was accelerated, the ability for localities to put in place strategies for sustainable and inclusive growth would be severely tested.