Regional leaders across Bedfordshire and the South Midlands are locked in a debate over proposed mayoral devolution boundaries that could dictate funding for major infrastructure projects.
At stake is a potential £150m infrastructure allocation from 2028, along with the governance framework needed to manage major developments such as the Universal Studios project in Bedford Borough.
Funding debate
Under government proposals, power and funding would transfer to a new regional mayoral authority, yielding over £25m annually compared to a few hundred thousand pounds for a non-mayoral model.
Labour councillors have advocated for a four-council model covering Bedford Borough Council, Luton Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council (BLMK).
Cllr Matt Brennan (Labour/Dunstable North – Central Bedfordshire Council) warned that failing to back the BLMK footprint could mean “saying goodbye” to £150m in infrastructure funding, arguing that delays leave local people without “extra infrastructure investment”.
However, an amendment by Cllr Brennan to commit Central Bedfordshire Council to BLMK was defeated, with councillors choosing instead to support a broader approach.
Boundary options
Central Bedfordshire Council leader Cllr Adam Zerny (Independent/Potton) argued that a broader geography is necessary to compete nationally with areas like Manchester and Birmingham.
Cllr Zerny said the area needs to work with a “far greater proportion of the OxCam region” to benefit from major developments, adding that the local authority has “a very strong hand” and does not need to “fold quickly”.
Meanwhile, Conservative group leaders across six South Midlands councils have jointly written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, requesting a rethink of the BLMK boundary.
The letter was signed by:
- Cllr Graeme Coombes (Leader of the Conservative Group, Bedford Borough Council)
- Cllr Shazna Muzammil (Leader of the Conservative Group, Milton Keynes City Council)
- Cllr Richard Wenham (Leader of the Conservative Group, Central Bedfordshire Council)
- Cllr Aslam Khan (Leader of the Conservative Group, Luton Borough Council)
- Cllr Helen Harrison (Leader of the Conservative Group, North Northamptonshire Council)
- Cllr Daniel Lister (Leader of the Conservative Group, West Northamptonshire Council).
South Midlands
The Conservative leaders contend that BLMK falls short of the government’s 1.5 million population benchmark, proposing instead a six-council South Midlands footprint including North and West Northamptonshire.
Cllr Coombes stated that the BLMK model is “much too narrow” and that Universal represents a “game-changing opportunity” requiring a wider regional scope.
Cllr Lister added that a six-council structure matches the scale of national growth ambitions, spanning major universities, creative industries, and distribution networks.
Cllr Muzammil urged the Prime Minister to test the evidence rather than settle for what was “easiest to agree first”, while Cllr Harrison called for party politics to be set aside to support the local economy.
Political instability
The dispute over regional governance comes alongside political changes within member authorities.
In Luton Borough Council, six Labour councillors defected in July 2026 to form an Independent Alliance, leaving Labour operating as a minority administration.
Cllr Khan said the local administration changes reflect wider concerns about decision-making, arguing that local people deserve a direct say in regional choices.
The government expects a regional mayor to be in place by May 2028.
Additional report by Euan Duncan
Local Democracy Reporter
