The Department for Transport has published terms of reference for an independent review of the capacity and skills that England’s mayoral strategic authorities need to plan and deliver local transport as devolution expands. Vernon Everitt CBE, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, will chair the work. Its first phase is expected to take three to four months from commencement.
The review is intended to identify how national government can work with local leaders to strengthen transport planning and delivery. The terms of reference describe an examination of capability and support needs, not a decision to fund a particular transport scheme. Nor do they set out final findings: those are expected only after the review has gathered evidence and reported its recommendations.
Phase one is focused on established mayoral strategic authorities in England. These bodies have different responsibilities, organisational structures and levels of experience in transport operations and capital programmes. The review is therefore intended to consider what support will work in each area, rather than assume that every authority starts from the same position or needs an identical model.
A central question is whether authorities are ready to deliver integrated transport systems as further responsibilities are devolved. The review will consider what local leaders need to develop and implement integrated transport strategies and delivery plans, and how those plans can support growth in local areas. It will also consider the leadership and organisational arrangements required to make plans deliverable.
The skills under consideration include project, commercial and financial expertise, alongside broader delivery capability. Transport programmes can involve long-term investment, service planning and coordination across organisational boundaries. The review will look at how central government, its transport bodies and local authorities can work together to address gaps and build on existing strengths. It will also examine the conditions for stronger partnerships between mayoral authorities, national transport bodies and private-sector organisations.
The chair and review team are expected to engage directly with mayors and senior authority leaders, including chief executives, managing directors and transport directors. The work is also intended to draw on experience across the public and private sectors and to identify practices that could be shared. The chair is to report to the Transport Secretary and the UK Mayors Network.
The planned phase-one output is a flexible blueprint for building transport capacity and capability. It is expected to draw on effective practice among established authorities and relevant learning from national transport bodies. A maturity path and workable timeline are also intended, tailored to each authority’s local ambitions, existing strengths and delivery context. These are proposed outputs, not a completed blueprint or an approved implementation programme.
A second phase is envisaged, but it will require separate terms of reference. The stated intention is to widen consideration to other mayoral strategic authorities, foundation strategic authorities and places expected to gain mayoral status. The phase-one blueprint may inform that work, but its extension and refinement remain future steps. The terms say phase two would refine, cost and agree the blueprint, maturity path and migration plan with the relevant departments, transport bodies and authorities.
The wider policy setting is the government’s programme to devolve power, funding and accountability from central government to mayors and local leaders. That direction makes local capability a practical part of transport devolution: responsibilities can only be exercised effectively if authorities have the people, structures and working relationships needed to turn priorities into plans and delivery. The terms present the review as one contribution to that broader effort, rather than a transfer of new powers in itself.
The distinction between capacity-building and committed investment is important. The document says the review will identify support and produce recommendations for consideration; it does not announce a new funding allocation, promise a specific project or confirm that any authority has already received additional staff or resources. Decisions about implementation are to follow the review’s work and further consideration by the relevant bodies.
For passengers, the publication does not signal an immediate change to routes, fares or services. Its potential significance is longer term: stronger planning and delivery capability could help local authorities manage increasingly substantial transport responsibilities. Whether that leads to better-connected services or other improvements will depend on what the review recommends and what governments and authorities subsequently decide to do.
