Commentary Part 6: Economic Prosperity Boards and Combined Authorities Section 103 – Combined authorities and their areas
219.This section provides that the Secretary of State can make an order establishing a combined authority for an area which meets conditions specified in subsections (2) to (6). A combined authority will have functions relating to economic development and regeneration and transport.
220.Subsection (2) specifies that a combined authority’s area must consist of the whole of two or more local government areas in England.
221.Subsections (3) and (4) stipulate that a combined authority’s area must be made up of local government areas that have contiguous boundaries. It is not possible for a combined authority’s area to completely surround an area which does not form part of it, nor for any area which does form part of it to have no common boundaries with any part of the rest of the area.
222.Subsection (5) stipulates that no part of the area may form part of another combined authority’s area, the area of an EPB or an integrated transport area.
223.Subsection (6) provides that each local government area that forms part of the combined authority’s area must have been included in a scheme prepared and published under section 109.
224.Subsection (7) requires an order under this section to specify the name that the combined authority will be known by.