FAQs

Below are commonly asked questions about the structure of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and how it operates.

What is a 'combined authority'?

A combined authority is a type of local government body set up by legislation that allows a group of councils to voluntarily work together across council boundaries over a wider area where it makes sense to do so, such as in economic regeneration and transport services.

Our constituent councils are: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. York is also a non-constituent member.

Who governs the West Yorkshire Combined Authority?

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is a democratically-led authority and is governed by a cross-party, politically balanced group of elected councillors nominated by each of our partner councils: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield and York.

Read more information on what combined authorities are and what they do.

The Chair of the Combined Authority

The Mayor, Tracy Brabin, is the Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Deputy Mayor, James Lewis, is the Deputy Chair.

 

Members of the Combined Authority
Committees

The Combined Authority has appointed a number of committees that oversee specific policy areas such as:

  • Transport
  • Business, Economy & Innovation
  • Culture, Heritage & Sport
  • Employment & Skills
  • Place, Regeneration & Housing
  • Finance, Resources & Corporate
  • West Yorkshire Business Board

We are committed to transparency and all of these meetings are held in public and the agendas, reports and minutes are all published. You can also access agenda packs and minutes from past meetings for further information on what has been decided.

Visit our committee section to see a list of these committees and their members and access agenda packs, reports, decision summaries, minutes and the forward plan of key decisions.

Scrutiny and accountability

The Combined Authority has an independent committee of elected councillors known as the Overview and Scrutiny Committee which acts as a 'check and balance' and provides challenge to the Combined Authority and its partners and holds them to account for the policies they adopt, the money they spend and the services they provide.