2026 No. 482

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENGLAND

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Transitional and Saving Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026

Madeat 4.43 p.m. on 29th April 2026

Coming into force30th April 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 108(9) of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026¹.

1 Citation, commencement and interpretation¶

1 These Regulations may be cited as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Transitional and Saving Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026.

2 These Regulations come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

3 In these Regulations—

“the 1999 Act” means the Greater London Authority Act 1999²;
“the 2003 Act” means the Local Government Act 2003³;
“the 2014 Act” means the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014⁴;
“the 2023 Act” means the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023⁵;
“the 2026 Act” means the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026;
“local government area” means the area of a county council or a district council;
“relevant council” means any of the councils for the local government areas of Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Portsmouth City, Southampton City, Southend-on-Sea City, Suffolk and Thurrock.

2 Transitional and saving provision - consultation requirements in the 2023 Act¶

1 Paragraph (2) applies where—

a the Secretary of State has carried out a consultation under section 46(3) of the 2023 Act (requirements in connection with establishment of CCA) before the passing of the 2026 Act; and

b that consultation related to making regulations under Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the 2023 Act⁶(combined county authorities) (the “2023 Act provisions”) to establish a CCA in the area of a relevant council (“2023 Act regulations”).

2 For the purposes of making 2023 Act regulations and enabling such regulations to be made, the amendments made to the 2023 Act provisions by section 4 of, and Part 2 of Schedule 1 to, the 2026 Act do not apply.

3 Sections 102 (saving of orders and regulations relating to combined authorities and CCAs) and 103 (power to make consequential provision) of the 2026 Act apply to 2023 Act regulations as if the regulations had come into force before those sections came into force.

3 Saving provision - definition of functional bodies in the 1999 Act¶

The amendments made to section 424(1) of the 1999 Act (interpretation) by paragraph 20(7) of Part 2 of Schedule 18 to the 2026 Act do not apply for the purposes of—

a section 44 of the 2014 Act (interpretation);

b section 23 of the 2003 Act (“local authority”).

Explanatory Note¶

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make transitional and saving provision in connection with the coming into force of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23) (“the 2026 Act”). Regulation 2 sets out that the amendments made by section 4 of and Schedule 1 to that Act do not apply in relation to any local government area in respect of which a consultation has been conducted by the Secretary of State under section 46(3) (requirements in connection with establishment of CCA) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55) before the passing of the 2026 Act.

Regulation 3 provides that amendments made to the definition of functional bodies in section 424(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 by paragraph 20(7) of Part 2 of Schedule 18 to the 2026 Act do not apply for the purposes of section 44 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 or section 23 of the Local Government Act 2003.

An impact assessment has been produced for the 2026 Act. No, or no significant, impact on business, charities or the public or voluntary sector is foreseen. Copies can be obtained at https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/63710/documents/7405 or from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government at 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF.

Footnotes

1
2026 c. 23.
2
1999 c. 29.
3
2003 c. 26.
4
2014 c. 2.
5
2023 c. 55.
6
Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the 2023 Act was amended by sections 4, 5(1), 6(2) and (3), 7(1), 8(1), 9(1), 10(2) and (3), 12(3), 15(1), 18(1), 19(1) to (3), 22(1), 23(1), 43(2), 45(2), 46(4) to (6) and 49(2) of, and by Part 2 of Schedule 1, Schedule 3, Schedule 4, paragraph 8(2) of Schedule 6, Schedule 11, paragraph 1(3) and (4) of Schedule 22, paragraph 7 of Schedule 26, paragraph 16 of Schedule 30 and paragraph 37 of Schedule 36 to, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.