Combined and Local Authorities: Working together to support local cultural decision making

Insight Paper

Partners

Greater Manchester Combined Authority, North East Combined Authority, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, South Yorkshire Combined Authority

Author

Culture Commons

Description

This insight paper examines how combined and local authorities across England are working together to shape the creative, cultural and heritage ecosystem within an evolving devolution framework. Drawing on a high-level roundtable with officers from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and the newly formed North East Combined Authority, it explores how multi-tier governance operates in practice — from strategy development and funding alignment to data sharing and citizen engagement. The paper highlights the importance of local–regional cooperation, the “value add” of combined authority convening power, and the need for adequate resourcing to sustain collaboration. It also identifies key policy implications for UK Government and mayors, including support for participatory governance, standardised cultural data frameworks, and deeper connectivity between local authorities, regional strategies and national outcomes.

Published as part of The Future of Cultural Devolution in the UK.

May 2024