West of England Combined Authority

The audit committee's proposed changes to contract standing orders and commercial guidance were approved. The changes are intended to improve compliance, operational efficiency and value for money.

The committee approved the mayoral combined authority budget for 2026-27, with an overall investment increase to almost £416 million and a draft business plan for the first time. The budget is intended to support transport, housing, regeneration, economic growth, skills and the environment, and to build internal capacity while maintaining reserves.

The authority reported strong evidence of the impact of the Kids Go Free bus scheme, including 1.4 million free journeys, significant increases in use, and improved opportunities and independence for children. The scheme is being rolled into a national government programme, and officers said the freed-up local budget will need to be revisited. This affects fares policy and bus incentive procurement planning rather than a standalone contract award.

The committee approved a social value framework to embed social, economic and environmental benefits into procurement and contracts above threshold. The framework is intended to support child poverty reduction, employment, the voluntary and community sector, SMEs, and nature and climate outcomes, which will materially affect future tender evaluations and contract management across the authority.

The report authorised administration of £869,000 cladding remediation funding and £200,000 Homes England funding for the strategic place partnership. These are additional funded programmes rather than new policy initiatives, but they still create managed spend and associated delivery oversight.

The authority approved its local remediation acceleration plan, linked to post-Grenfell building safety requirements and government deadlines for fixing taller buildings. The plan is intended to bring partners together to accelerate remediation, although the authority itself has no statutory building safety duty.

The meeting focused heavily on major regional investment and governance changes, with significant procurement implications across transport, housing, skills, and regeneration. Key decisions included approval of the regional distribution hub, brownfield housing funding, the skills strategy, established mayoral strategic authority status, and North Somerset’s expansion into the combined authority. Members also discussed bus network reform, the X91 route pressure, future transport strategy work, the Brabazon and West Innovation Arc new town, and Hicksgate master planning, all of which point to substantial future commissioning and delivery requirements.

The meeting focused heavily on transport reform and delivery, including bus funding, Kids Go Free, electric buses, supported bus services, mass transit and rail powers under new devolution legislation. Members also scrutinised major growth and housing initiatives such as the Western Innovation Arc/Brabazon new town, Brownfield Housing Fund, Hicks Gate masterplan, and a proposed distribution hub and nature recovery fund. There was significant discussion of governance, transparency, consultation, and the need for better performance reporting, alongside approval and expansion of the combined authority and a new skills strategy linked to the Milburn review.