The Government has today (Thursday 17 July) confirmed Greater Essex can proceed with its devolution work. It has confirmed Greater Essex has ‘passed the legal tests’ and work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) can continue.
The decision follows an eight-week consultation held between February and April. This saw a total of 4,070 responses from residents, business and partner organisations. A report on the consultation has also been published today.
Welcoming the decision, Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: “This is a momentous day for Greater Essex, and I welcome the decision from Government that devolution will go ahead in our county.
“Devolution will provide us with the greatest opportunity to transform our county in more than a generation and help transfer more power into the hands of local people across Greater Essex.
“Our hard work will continue as we work with the Government to grasp the opportunities created by devolution which will help our residents, businesses and our whole county flourish.”
Councillor Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “This is another major milestone in our devolution journey, and an important step forward for Greater Essex to be able to represent and lobby for greater powers from Central Government."
Councillor Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “The news today that the Secretary of State has given devolution in Greater Essex the green light is warmly welcomed.
“Our focus in Thurrock is on delivering value-for-money services for residents, with decision-making kept as close to communities as possible. We want local people to be able to hold local leaders to account for what they do. We also want to see places thrive, with jobs, investment and housing all given the priority we know they need.
“Devolution provides a real opportunity to turbo-charge the economy and opportunities of Greater Essex for all who live, work and learn here.”
The Government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is set for a second reading in September. Separate legislation to create the MCCA with then go through Parliament in in the autumn/winter.
The MCCA is set to be legally established in early 2026. A Mayoral election is scheduled to take place on Thursday 7 May, 2026.
Find out more about devolution in Greater Essex.
Read the Written Ministerial Statement on today’s announcement.