The leaders of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland councils have agreed in principle to a devolution deal which the Government has confirmed it is ‘minded to’ approve. Please read this information, and take part by completing a short form to give us your views. You will find a link to this form at the bottom of the page under the heading "How you can play a part, what happens next and why we are asking for your views."
If you need this information in Easy Read format (for people with learning disabilities), it is here:
If you need this information in Easy Read format (for people with learning disabilities), it is here:
- Making more of our own decisions in the North-East of England - information
- Making more of our own decisions in the North-East of England - questions
What this means
There is no change to the way the seven local authorities operate independently, and they will still be responsible for delivering the services they do currently.
A devolution deal for the region means unlocking £4.2 billion of investment, over 30 years, and seeing additional powers transferred from Whitehall to local people with better knowledge and experience of our communities. It is expected to create 24,000 extra jobs, create 70,000 courses to give people the skills to get good jobs and leverage £5.0 billion of private sector investment.
This deal represents a significant opportunity to make a difference to people who live and work in the North East, and could have a hugely positive impact on the big issues that matter to you. Whether that is new and better paid jobs, more affordable housing or placing ourselves at the forefront of Net Zero revolution, the chance of more decision-making powers and millions of pounds in funding will have a major impact on the North East.
The new North East Mayoral Combined Authority, which would cover an area which is home to around 2 million people, will have the power to make decisions on areas such as transport, skills, housing, finance and economic development. The deal includes:
A devolution deal for the region means unlocking £4.2 billion of investment, over 30 years, and seeing additional powers transferred from Whitehall to local people with better knowledge and experience of our communities. It is expected to create 24,000 extra jobs, create 70,000 courses to give people the skills to get good jobs and leverage £5.0 billion of private sector investment.
This deal represents a significant opportunity to make a difference to people who live and work in the North East, and could have a hugely positive impact on the big issues that matter to you. Whether that is new and better paid jobs, more affordable housing or placing ourselves at the forefront of Net Zero revolution, the chance of more decision-making powers and millions of pounds in funding will have a major impact on the North East.
The new North East Mayoral Combined Authority, which would cover an area which is home to around 2 million people, will have the power to make decisions on areas such as transport, skills, housing, finance and economic development. The deal includes:
- An investment fund of £1.4bn, or £48m a year, to support inclusive economic growth and support our regeneration priorities
- An indicative budget of around £1.8bn, or £60m a year, for adult education and skills – to meet local skills priorities and improve opportunities for residents
- A £900m package of investment to transform our transport system, with £563m from the City Regional Sustainable Transport Fund, on top of funding already announced for our buses and metro system
- £69m of investment in housing and regeneration, unlocking sites to bring forward new housing and commercial development
Local leaders have worked together to negotiate an offer which matches their ambition to make a difference for residents, communities and the economy.
What is the consultation about and what are we asking you to do?
The consultation is a chance for you to understand more about the proposals of how the proposed devolution deal from government could be implemented in the region, and have your say. We are asking for your views about the details of the proposed scheme – the document that sets out how devolution would be implemented.
This devolution deal is subject to adopting the model of a directly elected mayor over the whole of the Combined Area and replacing the two combined authorities which currently exist in that area, namely the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and North of Tyne Mayoral Combined Authority (NTCA), with a single new North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA).
The councils involved (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland) have published a scheme under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Currently, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council and Northumberland County Council are members of NTCA while Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council are members of NECA.
Our published scheme sets out proposals for changing the way in which the councils work together on these matters, and for devolving new powers to the area of the seven councils.
The new combined authority would be led by a Mayor elected by residents across the area, and together with one representative from each of the seven constituent councils will form a Cabinet which will make decisions for the new combined authority. The first step to implement our proposals is to seek your views on them through this public consultation which runs from 26 January to 23 March 2023.
There are documents available on this page for reference if you would like to find out more:
This devolution deal is subject to adopting the model of a directly elected mayor over the whole of the Combined Area and replacing the two combined authorities which currently exist in that area, namely the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and North of Tyne Mayoral Combined Authority (NTCA), with a single new North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA).
The councils involved (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland) have published a scheme under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. Currently, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council and Northumberland County Council are members of NTCA while Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council are members of NECA.
Our published scheme sets out proposals for changing the way in which the councils work together on these matters, and for devolving new powers to the area of the seven councils.
The new combined authority would be led by a Mayor elected by residents across the area, and together with one representative from each of the seven constituent councils will form a Cabinet which will make decisions for the new combined authority. The first step to implement our proposals is to seek your views on them through this public consultation which runs from 26 January to 23 March 2023.
There are documents available on this page for reference if you would like to find out more:
- Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) which provide answers to some common questions about this proposal.
- The Governance Review which considers how functions to promote economic growth and improve transport are managed in the region, concluding that the creation of a new authority would deliver better outcomes.
- The scheme sets out proposals to change the governance arrangements for the area of the seven councils.
- The deal document agreed in principle with government
How you can play a part, what happens next and why we are asking for your views
This public consultation is your chance to have a say on our proposals, please tell us what you think before 23 March 2023.
Please take part by clicking here to complete this short form: Your views on North East Devolution in 2023
A summary of the responses will be considered by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who will have regard to the views of the public and other stakeholders when deciding whether to make the required legislation to put the changes into effect. We will keep people informed about what is happening with the devolution deal through our website: Newcastle City Council, and in our residents' magazine, Citylife.
If you need support to take part
If you need us to do anything differently (reasonable adjustments) to help you take part in this consultation, including providing this information in another language or format, please contact us at: letstalk@newcastle.gov.uk or call us on: 0191 277 3560. We will also provide printed copies of the survey in libraries and on request (they can be returned to FREEPOST Letstalk), and will be holding consultation events so that people can give us their views - details will be shared here on Let's talk Newcastle.
Privacy
You cannot be identified from your answers, and we will keep them private and not use them for any purpose other than finding out more about what people think about the plans for devolution in the North East. We will keep them securely, and they will be used only by the people running the consultation to find out what people think about these proposals. You can find out more about how we handle data here: Privacy Policy. If you have questions please email us at: letstalk@newcastle.gov.uk
