The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) is the strategic authority for the Liverpool City Region, which comprises the five metropolitan boroughs of the county of Merseyside and the borough of Halton from the county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2014 and has since acquired powers and responsibilities over the region's transport, economic development and regeneration, culture and tourism, energy, justice, and health. Bodies such as Merseytravel are responsible for delivery of these services and report to the combined authority.
The combined authority has nine members. The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region leads the authority and is a voting member. Each of the six councils within the city region appoints a voting member, and the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and the chair of the Liverpool City Region Business and Enterprise Board are non-voting members.
History Development and formation
The concept of a 'Liverpool city region' gained traction in the 2004 report 'Moving Forward: The Northern Way', commissioned by the UK government and published by The Northern Way.
Collaborative working between the local authorities in the city region followed in 2007, with the publication of the Liverpool City Region Development Plan. In 2008, relationships between the authorities deepened with the decision that they would enter a multi-area agreement. A new City Region Cabinet was established, made up of the leaders of the six local authorities in Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral and private sector representation through the chair of the Mersey Partnership. The cabinet continued to evolve, and in 2012 the government announced the 'Liverpool City Region Deal', which came with the establishment of a local transport body.
On 21 June 2013, the Liverpool City Region Cabinet agreed that there needed to be a wholesale review of governance arrangements in the area. A report on its findings was published on 30 September 2013. The report identified the city region as one of the fastest growing economies in the UK, which had outgrown existing informal relationships between the local authorities. The report recommended the establishment of a more formal combined authority to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of local transport, promote economic development and regeneration. It was proposed that the combined authority have seven members - one from each constituent local authority, and one more from the (since disbanded) Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
Relationships between the local authorities were reinforced with the formal establishment of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on 1 April 2014.
Naming On 21 June 2013, the Liverpool City Region Cabinet agreed to review the strategic governance arrangements across the area. Following this review, the six local authorities of the city region intended to strengthen their collaborative governance to enable the city region to optimise its economic growth potential. The authorities put forward the name 'Liverpool City Region Combined Authority' for their proposed combined authority. A draft report was published for the plan in August 2013 in which the authorities and relevant stakeholders were consulted. The consultation ran between 5 August and 6 September 2013. A revised report was published in September 2013 which confirmed that the Liverpool city region wished to pursue the creation of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The scheme to establish a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority was then submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by 30 September 2013. A statutory consultation followed in November 2013, however, the government published scheme used the name 'Greater Merseyside Combined Authority'. The government consultation that followed showed strong support for a name that included 'Liverpool' and not 'Merseyside'.
The name was changed to Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority in the draft order presented to the UK parliament. This was chosen by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) because it said the local authorities could not agree a name for the combined authority and some responses to the consultation objected to the name 'Liverpool'. An explanatory memorandum attached to the orders creating the combined authorities stated that any name including 'City Region' was considered "misleading and inappropriate" by the government. DCLG stated that the combined authority could use any public name it wanted. On 21 February 2014, it was decided by the constituent councils that the authority would use the public name of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. A motion at the inaugural meeting on 1 April 2014 proposed that the authority should formally adopt this name and it was passed unanimously, and the name change came into effect in January 2017.
Timeline of Liverpool city region devolution
Date Description Sources 2004 'Liverpool city region' defined in the report 'Moving Forward: The Northern Way'. 2007 The Liverpool City Region Development Plan is published. 2008 Six local authorities of Liverpool city region enter a multi-area agreement. The Liverpool City Region Cabinet was established. 2012 UK central government declared the 'Liverpool City Region Deal'. 21 June 2013 Liverpool City Region Cabinet conducted a strategic governance review. August 2013 Liverpool City Region Cabinet published a draft report to recommend establishment of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. 5 August - 6 September 2013 Consultation on proposed Combined Authority conducted between the relevant local authorities and stakeholders. September 2013 Liverpool City Region Cabinet published final governance review report which recommended establishment of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The report was sent to UK central government. November 2013 Statutory consultation on the proposed Combined Authority commenced. 21 February 2014 The constituent councils of the Combined Authority decided to use the public name of 'Liverpool City Region Combined Authority'. 1 April 2014 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority formally established. 17 November 2015 First devolution agreement agreed by central government conferred powers on the Combined Authority. March 2016 Additional devolution agreement conferred further powers on the Combined Authority. 5 May 2017 Steve Rotheram elected as first ever Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. 1 March 2024 UK central government confirms 'Level 4' devolution powers for the Combined Authority.
Membership
The membership of the combined authority is as follows: Constituent membership Name Position within nominating authority Nominating authority Steve Rotheram Mayor of Liverpool City Region Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Mike Wharton Leader Halton Borough Council (1) Graham Morgan Leader Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (2) Liam Robinson Leader Liverpool City Council (3) George Woodward Leader St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council (4) Marion Atkinson Leader Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (5) Paula Basnett Leader Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (6) Co-opted membership (non-voting) David Meyerowitz Chair Business and Enterprise Board Emily Spurrell Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Merseyside Police
These members form the combined authority. Its meetings are chaired by the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region or, in the mayor's absence, the appointed deputy mayor.
Cabinet The combined authority has a cabinet led by the Mayor. Leaders of the constituent councils, and the Police and Crime Commissioner are cabinet members and are assigned portfolios by the Mayor. The cabinet also has deputy cabinet members who are councillors from the constituent councils. As at July 2025, the composition of the Mayor's cabinet was: Mayor of the Liverpool City Region's Cabinet Name Position within nominating authority Nominating authorityCabinet PositionPortfolioCabinet Members Steve Rotheram Mayor of Liverpool City Region Liverpool City Region Combined AuthorityMayor (chair)Policy, Resources, Reform, Transport Mike Wharton Leader HaltonDeputy Mayor & Cabinet MemberBusiness, Investment and Trade Graham Morgan Leader KnowsleyCabinet MemberHousing and Regeneration Liam Robinson Leader LiverpoolCabinet MemberInnovation Anthony Burns Leader St HelensCabinet MemberNet Zero Marion Atkinson Leader SeftonCabinet MemberEmployment, Education and SkillsPaula Basnett Leader WirralCabinet MemberHealth & InequalitiesEmily SpurrellPolice and Crime Commissioner Merseyside PoliceCabinet MemberCrime and PolicingDeputy Cabinet MembersCarla ThomasCouncillorSeftonDeputy Cabinet MemberPolicy, Reform and ResourcesShelly PowellCouncillorKnowsleyDeputy Cabinet MemberEducation and SkillsPortia FaheyCouncillorLiverpoolDeputy Cabinet MemberInnovationGill WoodCouncillorWirralDeputy Cabinet MemberNet Zerovacant - -Deputy Cabinet MemberTransportPaulette LappinCouncillorSeftonDeputy Cabinet MemberHousing and RegenerationSharon ThorntonCouncillorHaltonDeputy Cabinet MemberHealthJennie BellCouncillor St HelensDeputy Cabinet MemberCrime and PolicyKate GroucuttCouncillorSt HelensDeputy Cabinet MemberBusiness, Investment and Trade
Leadership Mayor of Liverpool City Region
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is chaired by the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region (sometimes referred to as the 'Metro Mayor').The Mayor is directly elected every four years by the electorate within the boundaries of Liverpool City Region. Once elected, the Mayor exercises the powers and functions devolved from the UK's national government, which are set out in the local area's evolving devolution arrangements. Primarily, the Mayor's role is to work alongside his colleagues within the Combined Authority and to focus on significant issues that affect the economy, infrastructure, health, wellbeing and strategic planning of the city region. The Mayor is a high-profile public figurehead and is often seen as a spokesperson for the city region, regularly quoted in the national press when important developments, announcements or public debates take place.
The incumbent Mayor is Steve Rotheram, who was elected as the first Mayor of the Liverpool City Region on 5 May 2017.
2014 Leadership dispute The long-term future of the authority was left in doubt after the previous leader of Liverpool City Council Joe Anderson decided to seek legal advice on Liverpool City Council leaving, following his failure to be elected as its chair. Anderson was not present during the leadership vote. Other members said he allowed his 'personal ego' and his belief he had a "God given right to chair the authority" to put it in jeopardy. The future of the authority appeared more secure following a statement by Anderson on 7 April 2014, where he made clear that the matter that caused the dispute was "closed" and that Liverpool would remain within the combined authority.
The authority held its first elections for a directly elected mayor in May 2017. The election was won by Steve Rotheram.
Committees and boards
Committees The combined authority possess a number of committees who have the responsibility to deliver functions of the Authority that are not solely reserved to the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. May be made up of The Mayor, Combined Authority Members, Members who are members of the Councils and Non-voting members Co-opted for their expertise and advice
The Combined Authority (Committee)