"A real opportunity” for economic growth across Hampshire with the start of a £1.3 billion regional authority
First week of region’s £1.3bn future as Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority is officially launched
There are high hopes of “a real opportunity” for economic growth across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with the start of a £1.3 billion future after a new regional authority began to operate.
This week the new regional authority is officially inaugurated and begins work to ‘bring more decisions and investment closer to local people’ thanks to the devolution of decision-making power.
Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority (HSCCA) brings together Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton to work on shared priorities that affect people’s everyday lives, from transport, skills and homes to jobs, growth and public services.
Until a new mayor is elected in 2028 it will be overseen by a board made up of leading officials across the areas local councils. It has been created to help tackle those challenges at the right scale, by bringing councils and partners together around transport, skills, homes, jobs and long-term growth.
It comes at an important time for a region with more than two million residents and an economy worth around £70–£80 billion, but where growth has slowed, the population is ageing and employers are facing skills gaps.
Leader of Hampshire County Council and chair of the HSCCA board, councillor Nick Adams-King, said: “This is a huge moment for our region and a real opportunity to put our area on the map. By joining forces, we can bring in new investment, create better-paid jobs and help our towns and villages thrive.
“Most importantly, this is about delivering real benefits for local people and businesses. I'm excited to work with colleagues across the region to make sure we seize this opportunity to build a brighter future for everyone."
HSCCA has been created through the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme. It includes Government funding worth £1.3 billion over 30 years, with £44.6 million in annual investment from 2028. Government will make 40 per cent of the annual investment fund available from 2026/27, enabling a phased and responsible set-up of the HSCCA ahead of the first Mayoral elections in 2028.
From this week, the HSCCA will begin taking on new responsibilities in areas including transport, skills, housing, economic growth, public safety, health and wellbeing, the environment, culture, and rural and coastal communities.
It said this will give it new tools to plan transport and infrastructure across the whole region, support economic growth, shape future skills provision, coordinate housing and land-use planning, and bring partners together on areas such as health, public safety, the environment and climate resilience. Some responsibilities will be phased in over time.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, leader of the Isle of Wight Council and vice-chair of the HSCCA board, said: “While we will work closely with our partners across Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, I will continue to champion the Island’s interests robustly and ensure our unique needs and opportunities are recognised. Island communities face distinct challenges, particularly around connectivity, skills, housing and access to services, and it is vital these considerations are reflected in future decisions and investment.
“The Vice-Chair role provides an important platform to influence regional policy, strengthen collaboration and help secure the funding, investment and opportunities our communities need. By working together through the Combined County Authority, we can unlock long-term economic growth, improve outcomes for residents and businesses, and ensure the Isle of Wight plays a full and active role in shaping the future of our region.”
Devolution and the creation of the HSCCA is separate from local government reorganisation, despite the fact that both are taking place across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Local government reorganisation will create new larger unitary councils from April 2028, replacing the current mix of county, district, borough and unitary councils, to deliver local services. In contrast, the HSCCA focuses on strategic functions that benefit from a region-wide approach.
Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: "We've reached an important milestone for Hampshire and the Solent, with opportunity to bring new investment and decision-making closer to the communities, businesses and organisations that know this region best. We now have a stronger voice nationally and a real opportunity to shape our own future.
"But this is just the beginning, the hard work starts now to turn potential into meaningful benefits felt by residents, businesses and the wider Solent economy, helping create jobs, improve skills, strengthen transport links and kick off sustainable growth across the region."
Councillor George Madgwick, Hampshire County Council’s Reform UK group leader, added: “Hampshire’s new Combined Authority gives us the power to think bigger, go further and achieve more together - creating a stronger, more prosperous future for all.”
Cllr Sarah Bogle, leader of Southampton City Council described the creation of the new HSCCA as providing ‘a major opportunity’ for growth.
She said: “It will give our communities more say in investment, priorities and decision-making, helping us drive inclusive growth and ensure local people benefit from the new opportunities that the authority will unlock.”
The Authority is led by Dr Ruth Adams as chief executive, who brings experience from helping to establish the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and from wider regional partnership work.
She said: “This is day one of a £1.3 billion opportunity for Hampshire and the Solent. As Chief Executive, my focus is on supporting the Authority as it builds the capacity, partnerships and plans needed to unlock investment, improve opportunities and help the whole region thrive. Working with the constituent authorities and partners, we can now begin shaping what devolution will mean for people, places and businesses across Hampshire and the Solent.”
In the lead up to the first Mayoral elections in May 2028, the HSCCA will be set up step by step. This will include agreeing how it will work with councils and partners, building the organisation, and starting work on key plans, including the Local Growth Plan, Strategic Skills Plan, Spatial Development Strategy and Local Transport Plan, which will shape what the HSCCA does for the region.
Once elected, the future Mayor will also be part of the Board membership and as the HSCCA develops, all decisions will be made through clear governance, scrutiny and accountability arrangements.
What the HSCCA will be able to do
The HSCCA will build ‘capability’ across nine areas — transport and infrastructure; skills and employment support; housing and strategic planning; economic regeneration; public safety; health and wellbeing; environment and climate change; culture; and rural and coastal communities.
- Use its strategic transport powers to consider transport connectivity and flows across the whole region, rather than looking at places, corridors or local networks in isolation
- Strengthen the region’s ability to drive economic regeneration, attract investment and support growth in sectors where Hampshire and the Solent has clear national and international strengths
- From 2027 commission adult skills provision so training better reflects local labour market needs and helps residents access better-paid, higher-skilled work
- Take a strategic role in housing and land use, supporting sustainable, well-planned growth and helping partners align homes, jobs, transport and infrastructure
- Provide a strategic convening role on environment and climate change, with future opportunities dependent on further devolution and the development of regional priorities
- Support partners to tackle health inequalities and reform public services together, recognising that economic opportunity, transport, housing, skills and wellbeing are closely connected.
- Prepare for a growing public safety role, including the expected transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire and Rescue Service governance functions in 2028, subject to secondary legislation
- Give culture, heritage and the creative industries a clearer regional focus, recognising their role in place identity, wellbeing, tourism and economic growth
- Ensure the needs, challenges and opportunities of rural, coastal and island communities are considered in wider HSCCA decision-making