Cheshire councils call for mayoral election delay to 2027 | Manchester News

The three councils in Cheshire are calling for their first mayoral election to take place a year later than originally planned.

Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington councils had been added to the government’s Devolution Priority Programme earlier this year, with plans to elect the county’s first mayor in May 2026.

The area’s leaders have now asked the government for this to take place in 2027 instead.

They said the move would give them “more time to put in place the right foundations”. The has contacted the Department for Local Government for a response.

In a statement, the leaders of the three councils said they were “committed” to devolution for Cheshire and Warrington.

“While we have always maintained that we want to release the potential benefits of devolution as early as possible, we have heard what people have said and recognise that by holding the mayoral election in May 2027 – at the same time as a number of local elections taking place across the area – we can reduce costs and potentially increase the number of people who will turn out to vote and have their voice heard.

“We will continue our work in the meantime to progress establishing a Mayoral Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington in early 2026, subject to the councils’ approval.

“This would still give our area more funding and more powers and be a positive step on our journey to electing a mayor in May 2027.”

A move to 2027 would also coincide with some local elections in the county.

Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council are both due to have their next local elections, which would be full council elections, in 2027.

Warrington’s next election, also a full council election, is set to be the following year.

Last week, the two councils in Cumbria, which were also added to the Devolution Priority Programme, called for their mayoral elections to be delayed by a year.