Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin sets annual budget

30 January 2025

West Yorkshire's leaders have approved the Combined Authority's multimillion-pound budget today, showing devolution in action against a backdrop of difficult decisions for the public finances across the UK.

A relentless focus on economic growth and building a brighter future for all was prioritised as the region’s £890m of devolved funding was allocated for the coming year.

The West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin outlined her key priority areas for 2025 which are underpinned in the region's Local Growth Plan. These include preparing the region for a franchised bus network from 2027 and getting spades in the ground for a mass transit system from 2028, which was backed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her growth speech yesterday (29 January), all while supporting vital local bus services and passenger facilities.

The document introduces a universal skills system to ensure everyone can fulfil their potential; delivering a flagship home energy scheme to help households invest in renewables and save on energy bills; and supports West Yorkshire Police and partners to cut crime and support victims.

The budget also recognises the need to support the region’s five local authorities, which are working to provide essential services against the backdrop of unprecedented local and regional financial pressures. This follows a public engagement on proposals.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “We are approaching a new era for devolution, and we need to make sure West Yorkshire is ready for that.

“We want to use these powers to grow our economy and ensure people have more money in their pockets.

"We have ambitious plans for our region and this budget will help us deliver that throughout the next year and beyond.”

With ambitious plans for the growth of the region and a single funding settlement from the government from 2026, the budget sets out how to deliver on the region’s priorities during a challenging period for public sector finances.

The budget highlights ongoing work to implement the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme, and commits funding to create a strategic outline case which will be submitted to the government, detailing the proposed routes and infrastructure investments the Combined Authority is looking to make.

The plans prioritise the ongoing work to deliver a fully franchised bus network in West Yorkshire, ahead of the first services coming into public control from 2027.

Investment will also go towards the West Yorkshire Local Growth Plan’s ambitions of boosting employment and ensuring everyone in the region has the skills they need for the future. Further support will also be introduced for locally-based businesses, to ensure they can access the finance, skills and markets that they need to grow and succeed.

The budget sets out funding to deliver the key priorities of the region’s Police and Crime Plan – including more work to keep people safe and support victims and witnesses of crime – and develop a strategy to help stamp out serious violence in the region.

The budget was approved by members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority today at Wellington House, Leeds.