Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016

2 Power to provide for an elected mayor

(1) After section 107 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 insert—

“Mayors for combined authority areas

107A Power to provide for election of mayor

(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide for there to be a mayor for the area of a combined authority.

(2) A mayor for the area of a combined authority is to be elected by the local government electors for that area in accordance with provision made by or under this Part.

(3) In subsection (2) “local government elector” has the meaning given by section 270(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

(4) Schedule 5B makes further provision about the election of mayors for areas of combined authorities.

(5) A mayor for the area of a combined authority is entitled to the style of “mayor”.

(6) A mayor for the area of a combined authority is by virtue of that office a member of, and the chair of, the combined authority.

(7) An order under this section providing for there to be a mayor for the area of a combined authority may not be revoked by making a further order under this section; but this does not prevent the making of an order under section 107 abolishing the authority (together with the office of mayor).

(8) In this Part “mayoral combined authority” means a combined authority for an area for which provision is made in an order under this section for there to be a mayor.

107B Requirements in connection with orders under section 107A

(1) The Secretary of State may make an order under section 107A in relation to a combined authority’s area if a proposal for there to be a mayor for the authority’s area has been made to the Secretary of State by the appropriate authorities.

(2) A proposal under subsection (1) may be included in a scheme prepared and published under section 109 or 112.

(3) An order under section 107A may also be made without any such proposal having been made if—

(a) the appropriate authorities consent, or

(b) in the case of an existing combined authority, there are one or more non-consenting constituent councils but the combined authority and at least two constituent councils consent.

(4) Where an order under section 107A is made by virtue of subsection (3)(b) of this section, the Secretary of State must make an order under section 106 to remove the area of each non-consenting constituent council from the existing area of the combined authority.

(5) For the purposes of this section “the appropriate authorities” are—

(a) each county council the whole or any part of whose area is within the area for which the combined authority is, or is to be, established,

(b) each district council whose area is within the area for which the combined authority is, or is to be, established, and

(c) in the case of an order in relation to an existing combined authority, the combined authority,

and a “constituent council” is a council within paragraph (a) or (b).”

(2) After Schedule 5A to that Act (inserted by section 8 below) insert, as Schedule 5B, the Schedule set out in Schedule 1 to this Act.