By Isle of Wight Observer
The new Hampshire and Solent Combined County Authority (HSCCA) has been established following parliamentary approval, creating a powerful new regional body with access to a £1.3 billion investment fund over the next 30 years.
The authority will take on devolved powers from Westminster in key areas, including transport, housing, skills, investment, and economic growth. Its inaugural meeting, planned for July, will confirm its constitution, governance arrangements and decision-making processes, marking the shift from legal creation to operational delivery.
Council leaders across Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton welcomed the announcement, describing it as a major step forward for co-ordinated regional leadership and long-term investment.
Isle of Wight Council leader, Jonathan Bacon, said the new authority represented “an important development for the region”. He added: “It provides a framework for councils and partners to work more closely together on shared priorities such as transport, skills and economic development. I aim to ensure that issues relating to the Island’s connectivity to the mainland are a particular focus given the importance of that issue to the vast majority of residents.”
The HSCCA will receive £44.6 million a year for 30 years, although funding for the first two years before the election of a regional mayor in 2028 will be £17.84 million annually. Local councils will continue to run day-to-day services such as social care, waste, and road maintenance.
Dr Ruth Adams, appointed earlier this year as the authority’s first chief executive, said: “The creation of the combined county authority gives us a real opportunity to bring regional leaders together, attract investment, and accelerate progress on the issues that matter most to local people and businesses. We are ambitious about what we can achieve and are now focused on turning that ambition into action.”
