New North East super council is given the green light
A new super council will be formed on April 1, allowing the North East to compete for millions of pounds in Government funding.
After months of internal rows and territorial battles, the North East's seven council leaders have secured Government backing to form a Combined Authority.
The move means, for example, that decisions over major transport and jobs investment in Northumberland or Newcastle must be made only after the views of the other council leaders have been taken into account.
There will be no changes to local councils, with voters still electing their local councillor and the same group collecting bins and looking after those in care.
> But we won't get to vote in matters directly involving this super council ?
But behind the scenes the North East Combined Authority will be seen as the lead voice for the region in Whitehall.
The seven leaders, and their chief executives, will share decision making over skills, transport and investment, have the chance to secure control over any devolved Government budgets and a say in how the region bids for the £2bn Government Growth Fund.
> And no doubt they'll also share an extra wad in their pay packets.
Cities minister Mr Clark has told MPs he thinks it is "a huge advance in the North East" and called for council leaders, MPs and other jobs groups to come together to formally discuss with him the next steps for the region.
> And will we – those most affected by any decisions – have any input ?
Former regional minister Nick Brown recently secured a series of regular meetings with the cities minister amid concerns the region's case was not being heard in parliament.
Last night he told The Journal: "If we want access to the money we have to comply with the Government's preferred structures, and it is very important that members of parliament are involved and can represent their constituents."
The combined authority sees Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, South Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council and Sunderland City Council form a legally binding structure with the power to borrow cash and the responsibility to share risk.
Simon Henig, the Durham council leader set to chair the combined authority, said: "Working together is the best way to promote jobs and growth and to secure devolution of funding, powers and responsibilities from Government.
"We share ambitious plans for the future of our area and we are determined to work together to deliver them.
"We are therefore delighted to receive today's news from Cabinet Office and look forward to the necessary formalities being progressed so that we can launch on April 1 this year. This is an important and exciting moment in our history and we are ready now to deliver on our ambitious plans."
Hopes of forming a combined authority had appeared slim earlier this year when Sunderland Council had halted the process amid concerns that Newcastle would hold too much influence.
Ministers, civil servants and council officials put pressure on Sunderland to drop its objections, but it was only once leader Paul Watson secured a stronger negotiating hand on the leaders' board that it could go ahead.
There were then further delays when Sunderland decided to hold out for a multi-million pound investment package from the Government for Wearside before going ahead.
This Sunderland City Deal, set to see some £50m spent on a new business park based around Nissan, is now in the final stage of negotiations.
> So it's all decided, signed, sealed and delivered. You had no input, it doesn't appear you'll ever get the chance for meaningful input… but then, this is all about the really important people, like councillors and businessmen. Business as usual, in fact.
Source – Newcastle Journal, 06 March 2014
Written by untynewear Posted in Political	Tagged with All In It Together, and, April 1, benefit, benefit sanctions, benefits, borrow cash, Business as usual, capitialism, Cities minister Mr Clark, civil servants, coalition Government., Combined Authority., Conservative, council officials, County Durham, decided, Department for Work & Pensions, dole, Durham, Durham City, Durham County Council, DWP, Easington, employed, employment, foodbanks, forced work, Gateshead, Gateshead Council, government, Government funding, Government Growth Fund, Hebburn, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring, investment, Jarrow, job, Job Centre, job seeker, Jobcentre, Jobcentre Plus, jobs, Jobseekers Allowance, JSA, Labour, Lib Dems, Liberal Democrats, local councils, Low Pay, Ministers, National Minimum Wage, neo-liberal, neoliberal, neoliberalism, New Labour, Newcastle, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nick Brown, Nissan, North East, North East Combined Authority, North East super council, North Tyneside, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland, Northumberland County Council, parliament, Paul Watson, Peterlee, politicians, politics, sanction, sanctions, Seaham, signed sealed and delivere, Simon Henig, skills, slavery, Social Security, South Shields, South Tyneside, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland, Sunderland City Council, Sunderland City Deal, super council, tax credits, territorial battles, Tory, transport, Tyne, Tyne & Wear, Tyneside, unemployed, Unemployed In Tyne & Wear, unemployed north east, unemployed tyne&wear, unemployedintyne&wear, unemployment, unemployment benefits, Wallsend, Washington, Wear, Wearside, welfare-to-work, Whitehall, Whitley Bay, work, work for benefits, Work Programme, workfare, worklessness, WP
Newcastle City Council passes £38m cuts package
Sunderland – £35million budget cuts