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Lancashire Combined County Authority

What is the Combined County Authority?

The Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) represents the whole of Lancashire. It includes members from Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Under existing responsibilities devolved by Government to local Leaders, the CCA is responsible for setting the strategic direction for:

  • transport

  • economic growth

  • skills

  • spatial planning

In April 2026, the CCA became the Local Transport Authority for Lancashire. At present, the three councils continue to deliver day-to-day highways and transport services.

The CCA gives Lancashire greater control over some government funding and decision-making.  This allows more local influence over transport, economic growth and skills.

Government has devolved around £200 million to the CCA for 2026 to 2027.

Our leader, Councillor Stephen Atkinson represents the county council and is the current Chair of the CCA. You can find out more about the LCCA’s members on Our members page | Lancashire Combined County Authority.

The CCA works with councils, public sector organisations and businesses to provide a stronger voice for Lancashire on issues that affect the county. The Government wants to see Combined Authorities – or Strategic Authorities as they are now known – operating across all areas of England.

Find out more on the Lancashire CCA website.

What this means for services and teams

Most council services will continue to operate as they do now.

The CCA will:

  • set the strategic direction for transport, growth, skills and employment

  • oversee funding and investment in these areas

Local councils will continue to deliver most day-to-day operational services.

Only functions and teams agreed as part of devolution arrangements will transfer to the CCA.

CCA staffing

The CCA is developing its own corporate services and staffing model.

Recent staffing changes include:

  • Karen Cassar has been appointed as Director of Transport: Lancashire Combined County Authority welcomes new director of transport.

  • A small number of strategic and public transport staff transferred from the county council in April 2026 to ensure that the Authority could fulfil its new role.

  • The devolved Adult Skills Fund launched in the first week of August 2026.

  • The Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub team is expected to transfer to the CCA in April 2027.

How the CCA differs from Local Government Reorganisation

The CCA and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) are separate programmes.

This can be confusing because both are taking place at the same time, but they have different purposes.

Devolution is about transferring some powers and funding from central government to Lancashire.

Local Government Reorganisation is about how local councils are organised and structured.

Only some functions and teams will transfer to the CCA. Staff who transfer to the CCA will not be part of LGR.

As LGR progresses, some day-to-day services will transfer to the four new councils that are created through reorganisation.

The four new Councils will become the Constituent Councils of the CCA, replacing Lancashire County Council, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.

How a Lancashire mayor fits in

Government policy encourages areas with devolution arrangements to move towards deeper devolution over time. This could include introducing a directly elected mayor in the future.

Lancashire does not currently have an elected mayor.