Areas of responsibility

Transport Economic Development and Regeneration Housing and Strategic Planning Skills and Employment Support Public Safety Health and Wellbeing Environment and Climate Change Culture Rural and Coastal

What is devolution

In 2024, the upper tier councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight asked central government for more local decision-making powers. In February 2025, the area was accepted into the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). This means that some powers and funding will move from central government to the new Hampshire and Solent Combined County Authority (HSCCA), which will cover the whole of the county of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. 

Devolution is the process of giving more powers to regions across England. The government is also aiming to make the powers devolved to Combined Authorities consistent. In practice, this means more decisions made and spending determined locally rather than by central government. For our region, this will mean decisions being made closer to home, by people who know and understand local needs. It will give communities a stronger voice and more influence over how money is spent and how services are run. 

Role of the Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority

In December 2025 government announced that they were deferring Mayoral elections from May 2026 to May 2028 so that when new mayors take office they come into local government able to work with the new unitary councils that will have been created through Local Government Reorganisation.   

The role of HSCCA is to give the region greater control over how it is governed. More decisions will be made locally by people who know and understand the region. 

HSCCA’s main goal is to tackle regional challenges, generate and make the most of opportunities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight — boosting economic growth and investment, creating jobs and homes, and reducing inequalities between communities. It will also be responsible for public safety.

HSCCA will have a regional focus, delivering initiatives where the benefits can be greatest when looked at on a bigger scale. 

Waterfront

Collaborative working

HSCCA will work closely with partner organisations to focus on the big issues that affect the whole region. Decisions will be joined up and designed to reflect the needs of local communities. 

 The Mayor will have convening powers which means they can bring public sector organisations together to discuss and work on shared issues, and those organisations have a duty to cooperate. The Mayor also has a responsibility to work with other Mayors in neighbouring regions, where shared interests cross regional borders and it benefits our region to collaborate more widely.  

The HSCCA has nine areas of responsibility which it will focus on. These are:

    • Transport and local infrastructure
    • Skills and employment support
    • Housing and strategic planning
    • Economic development and regeneration
    • The environment and climate change
    • Health, well-being and public service reform
    • Public safety
    • Culture
    • Rural and coastal

Within these, the HSCCA must produce four major plans which relate to its responsibilities in four key areas — transport, skills and employment support, housing and strategic planning, and economic growth and regeneration.

Continuing role of local councils

Bin man moving a bin towards a bin lorry

Local councils in Hampshire and the Solent will carry on providing the services that people use every day — things like schools, libraries, social care, bin collections and local planning. They will remain directly accountable to their communities and will continue to listen and respond to local needs.

HSCCA will work alongside councils to make sure that local priorities and regional priorities fit together, so that communities benefit from both.