Gove signs off on £1.4bn for North East devolution

Announced in December, Levelling up Secretary Michael Gove has now signed a deal which has allocated £1.4 billion of funding over the next 30 years for the devolved North East

Gove, the Mayor of North Tyne and representatives from all seven local authorities covering the region signed the deal in an historic ceremony at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

A local consultation on the deal is now open. If approved, people across Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and County Durham will be given the power to elect directly a Mayor of the North East.

When agreed, England will move closer to being 50 per cent covered by bespoke regional devolution deals. The Levelling Up white paper commits the government to offer a devolution deal to any area that wants one by 2030.

Education and skills: The deal provides the region with powers to better improve local skills through full devolution of the Adult Education budget and a greater say over the Local Skills Improvement Plan

Housing and regeneration: The North East will receive £17.4 million to support and accelerate the building of new homes on brownfield land, as well as £20 million to level up and kick start regeneration, delivering new affordable homes and green economic growth across the region.

Transport: A new City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement with government will give the North East control of up to £563 million to help shape and improve local rail services across the region, as well as the ability to introduce bus franchising.

Local leadership: From 2024, the North East will have a directly elected mayor who can champion the area, help drive investment to the region, and can represent local people in conversations with national government.

The new North East Mayoral Combined Authority will replace the existing North of Tyne MCA and Mayor, as well as the non-mayoral North East Combined Authority.