News / Politics
North Somerset to rectify decade-long ‘mistake’ and join WECA
Councillors in North Somerset will vote on Tuesday whether to finally join WECA almost ten years after the combined authority was created.
If approval is granted, North Somerset could join Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset as part of the combined authority by as early as the end of 2026.
A report going before the annual council meeting warns that should councillors decide not to join WECA, central government “could nonetheless choose to enforce membership” due to a goal of “universal coverage” of combined authorities across England.
In September 2025, councillors voted to start the process with a public consultation, despite major concerns raised by several councillors that it would mean going back to “the bad old days of Avon” – the county council which existed from 1974 to 1996 covering the same area.
Fifty per cent of the 714 people from North Somerset who responded to the consultation said they supported joining WECA; with 45 per cent opposed.
Joining the combined authority would mean closer working between North Somerset and other WECA members on issues like transport and planning and more government funding, although North Somerset has already been closely working with WECA in several areas.
The government has also said it will give WECA £15m to spend on “short-term projects” if North Somerset joins.
If it votes to join, North Somerset Council would be asking WECA to consider creating a citizen’s panel to help inform policy decisions and incorporate “co-creation” into its constitution.
It would also request a personal commitment from Labour mayor Helen Godwin to meet with North Somerset councillors at least once a year to listen to questions and concerns.
WECA was formed in 2017 but North Somerset declined to join at that stage, with current council leader Mike Bell calling that decision “a mistake”.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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