Council Changes
Is Warrington Council merging with Cheshire? The short answer is no, but some changes are coming. The new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority was legally established on 24th February 2026 and a regional Mayor will be elected in May 2027 but that does not mean Warrington and Cheshire councils are merging. Warrington Borough Council remains an independent local authority and keeps its responsibilities for public services such as:
- Social care for adults and children
- Local Education Authority
- Planning local health services
- Local road maintenance
- Waste collection and recycling
- Council tax collection and local library services
However there are some differences as the region gains some new powers devolved from central government. The main difference is that some strategic, high-level planning and funding will be at the Combined Authority level:
Strategic Transport Planning: The Combined Authority becomes the core transport authority for the region. However, transitional arrangements allow Warrington to continue operating its locally-owned bus network.
Adult Education and Skills: Management of the adult education budget moves to the Combined Authority. This shifts the responsibility to the higher mayoral tier in order to align regional training, apprenticeships, and skills programmes with local economic demands.
Economic Development & Housing: The Combined Authority sets the broad economic and spatial strategies for large housing and infrastructure developments, while Warrington Council retains local planning permission powers.
Shared Strategic Initiatives: The council collaborates at a combined level on issues like climate resilience, public health improvements, environmental policy
The Leader and Deputy Leader of Warrington Borough Council sit on the Combined Authority board. This ensures Warrington has a vote and a veto over major strategic choices affecting the town.
Our local lad Andy Burnham is keen on further devolution to regional strategic authorities. He has already mentioned mayors retaining a share of business rates and local income tax and having powers to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy. He wants local leaders to shape their region through control over local transport, housing, innovation, local energy and cultural investment. He is also suggesting that mayors could develop new regional technical and vocational youth pathways from age 14 and control the budget for 16 to 19 year-olds to offer locally tailored apprenticeship routes into employment. We will learn more about his proposals, and how he can pay for them, when the budget is revealed in October this year.