Transferred the power to authorize street work charges from central government to regional Mayors effective 29 October 2026.

These regulations bring into force specific provisions of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 on 29 October 2026.

The instrument transfers the authority to approve street work charging schemes from the Secretary of State to the Mayors of Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities.

This change applies to highway authorities seeking to charge utility companies (undertakers) for works carried out on maintainable highways, though the Secretary of State retains this power in areas where no elected Mayor is in office.

Activated legal provisions establishing a new Local Audit Office and reforming local government pension accounting and audit committee requirements from 15 July 2026.

This instrument brings into force several sections of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 on 15 July 2026, primarily affecting local authorities and pension scheme managers in England.

It establishes the Local Audit Office, mandates audit committees for Category 1 authorities, and introduces new requirements for cooperation between local government pension scheme managers.

The regulations also authorize the separation of pension scheme accounts and modify how smaller authorities are categorized for audit purposes when financial reviews are outstanding.

Specified independent remuneration panels and amended regional authority constitutions to permit allowances for members with special responsibilities.

This Order establishes the regulatory framework for independent remuneration panels to recommend allowances for members of combined authorities (CAs) and combined county authorities (CCAs) in England who have special responsibilities.

It directs that panels established under existing 2017 regulations function as the "relevant remuneration panels" for the purposes of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

The Order applies to across multiple regional authorities—including Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and the Tees Valley—by amending their specific constitutive orders to permit certain allowance payments as exceptions to general prohibitions on member remuneration.

Commenced provisions of the 2026 Act to implement the supplementary vote system for mayoral elections in England while exempting elections already in progress.

This statutory instrument brings into force specific provisions of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 concerning the electoral system for mayors.

It directs that elections for combined authority mayors and combined county authority mayors must utilize the supplementary vote system.

The regulations apply to electoral administrators and candidates in England, though they exempt any elections where the formal notice was published prior to June 18, 2026.