Government agrees devolution deal for North East
A new mayoral combined authority will be established in the North East of England following a devolution deal, the Government has announced.
The combined authority, which is the sixth to be agreed upon in the last 12 months, will serve Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and County Durham.
It will replace the existing North of Tyne MCA and the Mayor, as well as the non-mayoral North East Combined Authority.
Under the deal, new powers covering housing and regeneration, and education, skills and training, will be transferred to the area. The combined authority will also have new powers in relation to transport.
On housing, the combined authority will take on housing and land acquisition powers to support housing regeneration, infrastructure and community development and well-being.
The Government said that the North East would receive £17.4m to "support and accelerate the building of new homes on brownfield land, as well as £20m to level up and kick start regeneration".
In total, the Government will provide the combined authority with £1.4bn over the next 30 years as part of the deal.
The new authority will be led by a mayor and include seven elected members, one appointed by each of the seven constituent councils. In addition, there will be two non-voting members, the Chair of the Business Board and a representative of the community and voluntary sector.
Mayoral elections for the combined authority are expected to take place in May 2024.
Commenting on the news in a joint statement, local leaders and mayors across the whole North East said: "This is a significant step towards securing important decision-making powers and investment for our region. This would allow us to make decisions that reflect local needs and invest wisely into projects that will make a difference for all our residents, communities and local economy.
"There remains a process for all councils and combined authorities to consider the details and a public consultation before a final decision is made."
They added: "We are pleased that we have successfully negotiated a proposed deal which is a step towards reaching our ambition for this region. This is an important milestone in our journey and we will now engage with stakeholders to move the deal to the next stage."
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: "Devolution is all about letting leaders who live and breathe the region decide what is in their best interests, for their people and for their businesses.
"A new mayor will ensure local priorities in the North East are at the heart of decision-making, while our billion-pound funding boost will provide the financial certainty needed to level up the area right now and for years to come."
Adam Carey
