21.10.16
Tees Valley leaders promise region will be devolution ‘flagship’
The Tees Valley devolution deal will be a flagship of successful devolution, leaders have promised following a meeting with the local government secretary Sajid Javid.
The meeting comes almost a year after the combined authority signed the £450m devolution deal with then chancellor George Osborne.
At the meeting, Javid guaranteed that the Tees Valley will be compensated for any loss of EU funding, which David Budd, chair of the Tees Valley Combined Authority and mayor of Middlesbrough, raised concerns about following the EU referendum.
Mayor Budd said: “This meeting was an opportunity to take stock of progress with the new secretary of state, and reaffirm our collective commitment to making further progress.
“Tees Valley can be a flagship of successful devolution, and local leaders are determined to make a difference to bring good-quality jobs and investment to our area.”
Tees Valley received its first £15m tranche of funding last month.
Javid said: “Just 12 months ago the people of the Tees Valley came forward with a devolution deal that is already making a real difference to local people’s lives.
“From control over transport, to millions of pounds of new money this deal hands significant powers away from Whitehall to people who know the area best and know what the area needs most.”
The meeting was also attended by the leaders of Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees, as well as Andrew Lewis, managing director of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and Paul Booth, chair of the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.
Booth said: “Tees Valley’s economic strengths can make a major contribution to the UK’s Industrial Strategy, with opportunities to bring forward investable propositions to transform our economy and meet the industrial challenges ahead.
“We will use our devolved powers and resources to strengthen the resilience of the local and the national economy.”
The local leaders discussed opportunities for further devolution and services reforms in the Tees Valley, as well as announcing that the area will apply for further funding through the Local Growth Fund.
(Image c. Mick Garratt)
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