North East Combined Authority

Last updated

North East Combined Authority
North East Combined Authority logo 2024.svg
North East Combined Authorty 2014.svg
North East Combined Authority within England
Type
Type
History
Founded7 May 2024
Preceded by North East Combined Authority & North of Tyne Combined Authority
Leadership
Kim McGuinness,
Labour
since May 2024
Deputy Mayor
Martin Gannon,
Labour
since June 2024
Structure
United Kingdom North East Combined Authority 2024.svg
Political groups
  Labour (6)
  Liberal Democrats (1)
  Conservatives (1)
CommitteesAudit and Standards Committee, Overview and Scrutiny Committee. [1]
Length of term
None, 4 Years (Mayor)
Elections
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
4 May 2028
Meeting place
Newcastle Helix, The Lumen and The Core - geograph.org.uk - 6442720.jpg
The Lumen, St James Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne [2]
Website
www.northeast-ca.gov.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Constitution
https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/governance/constitution

The North East Combined Authority (NECA) is a combined authority in North East England. It has a directly-elected Mayor and seven member councils: two are unitary authorities (Durham and Northumberland) and five are metropolitan borough councils (Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland). The combined authority's area and the separate Tees Valley devolved region occupy the wider statistical region of North East England. [3] [4]

Contents

The authority was announced on 28 December 2022 in the North East devolution deal. On 6 March 2024, the Government announced the North East deeper devolution deal, which allowed the new authority to absorb multiple previous devolved bodies and gave NECA increased devolved powers. The first election for the authority took place on 2 May 2024. The replacement of both the non-mayoral North East Combined Authority and the North of Tyne Combined Authority happened on 7 May 2024. [3] The new combined authority was operational by the end of May 2024. [5] [6] [7]

History

The Tyne and Wear County Council was abolished in 1986 alongside other metropolitan county governments. In 2004, a referendum was held in the North East region to establish a devolved assembly, which was rejected by voters. [8]

The North East Combined Authority (NECA) was established in April 2014, including seven councils: Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland. [9] A devolution deal was agreed, including the creation of a mayor to be elected in 2017. In September 2016, that deal broke down, as the leaders south of the Tyne were worried about the loss of EU funding, and in 2017 no mayor was elected. [10]

From 2 November 2018, the boundaries of NECA were reduced to Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside. [9] The remaining areas left to form a mayoral combined authority called the North of Tyne Combined Authority. [8] The division of the Tyneside built up area into two combined authorities was criticised. [10]

In the Levelling Up white paper, the Government announced a larger mayoral combined authority would be created for the region. Durham was to negotiate a separate county deal. [8] On 28 December 2022, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove announced a £1.4 billion devolution deal. The deal included the establishment of a unified mayoral combined authority, with a mayor to be elected in 2024. [11] Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council, said local councils were being forced into the deal and that it did not represent levelling up; he said he agreed with its introduction nevertheless. [12] The seven local councils approved the final plans for the NECA on 9 November 2023, subject to approval by the chief executives of the councils, to allow for the Secretary of State to make the order for the NECA to be established. [13]

The North East Mayoral Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024 was laid before Parliament on 8 February 2024 [14] [15] [16] and was made as a statutory instrument on 20 March 2024. [17] [18] The Order dissolved two combined authorities to create NECA, prescribed the regeneration powers which the new Combined Authority holds and set out the functions which the elected Mayor will control. [19]

On 6 March 2024, the Government announced the North East deeper devolution deal, which supersedes the previous devolution deal gave NECA increased devolved powers. [5] The deeper devolution deal was signed on 18 March 2024. The deal includes provisions to establish a new North East Strategic Energy Board to coordinate energy supply and demand and promote growth in the offshore wind sector and a new North East Coastal and Rural Taskforce to strengthen the region’s rural and coastal communities. [20]

Geography

Constituent councils of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority
Ceremonial CountyUnitary authoritiesCouncil
County Durham County Durham Durham County Council
Northumberland Northumberland Northumberland County Council
Tyne and Wear Gateshead Gateshead Council
City of Newcastle Newcastle City Council
North Tyneside North Tyneside Council
South Tyneside South Tyneside Council
City of Sunderland Sunderland City Council
Population of the North East Combined Authority by district (2022) [21]
DistrictLand areaPopulationDensity
(/km2)
(km2)(%)People(%)
County Durham2,22629%528,12726%237
Gateshead1422%197,72210%1,389
Newcastle upon Tyne1131%307,56515%2,711
North Tyneside821%210,48711%2,558
Northumberland5,02064%324,36216%65
South Tyneside641%148,6677%2,308
Sunderland1372%277,35414%2,018
North East Combined Authority7,786100%1,994,284100%256

Constitution

Constitution

The arrangements for NECA's governance were set out in the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024. [15]

The NECA cabinet has eight voting members and two non-voting members: [3]

The mayor provides leadership to the combined authority and chair combined authority meetings. A deputy mayor was appointed from among the voting members of the authority and the mayor may delegate mayoral functions to authority members. [3] When the authority first meets it will have to decide what title the mayor is to be known by. [22]

Mayoral functions

The functions devolved to the mayor are: [5]

The mayor is a member of the Mayoral Council for England and the Council of the Nations and Regions.

Cabinet

As of May 2024, the cabinet of the combined authority is as follows: [23]

NameMembershipPosition within nominating authorityNominating authority
Kim McGuinness Constituent Mayor of the North East North East Combined Authority
Martin GannonConstituentDeputy Mayor of the North East, Leader of the Council, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Amanda HopgoodConstituentLeader of the Council, Member for Culture, Creative, Tourism and Sport Durham County Council
Nick KempConstituentLeader of the Council, Member for The Economy. Newcastle City Council
Norma Redfearn Constituent Mayor of North Tyneside, Member for Housing and Land. North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
Glen SandersonConstituentLeader of the Council, Member for Environment, Rural & Coast Northumberland County Council
Tracey DixonConstituentLeader of the Council, Member for Education, Inclusion and Skills South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
Michael MordeyConstituentLeader of the Council, Member for Finance and Investment Sunderland City Council
Lucy WinskellNon-constituentChairBusiness Board
TBANon-constituentRepresentativeCommunity and Voluntary Sector Member

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyne and Wear</span> County of England

Tyne and Wear is a ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Tyneside</span> Metropolitan borough in England

South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is bordered by all four other boroughs in Tyne and Wear: Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, North Tyneside to the north and Newcastle upon Tyne to the north-west. The border county of Northumberland lies further north. The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the County Borough of South Shields with the municipal borough of Jarrow and the urban districts of Boldon and Hebburn from County Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Tyneside</span> Metropolitan borough in England

North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It forms part of the greater Tyneside conurbation. North Tyneside Council is headquartered at Cobalt Park, Wallsend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead</span> Metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It includes Gateshead, Rowlands Gill, Whickham, Blaydon, Ryton, Felling, Birtley, Pelaw, Dunston and Low Fell. The borough forms part of the Tyneside conurbation, centred on Newcastle upon Tyne. At the 2021 census, the borough had a population of 196,154.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle City Council</span> Local government body in England

Newcastle City Council is the local authority for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. Newcastle has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 the council has been a metropolitan borough council. In 2024 the council became a member of the North East Combined Authority. The council is based at Newcastle Civic Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Directly elected mayors in England</span> Executive leaders of local government

Local authority areas in England typically have an executive leader and a cabinet selected from the local council, similar to how the national prime minister and cabinet are selected from Parliament. In contrast, residents of some areas, or groups of areas known as combined authorities or combined county authorities, directly elect the executive mayors of their local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunderland City Council</span> Local authority of Sunderland, England

Sunderland City Council is the local authority of Sunderland, a metropolitan borough with city status in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. It is one of five such councils in Tyne and Wear and one of 36 in England. It provides the majority of local government services in Sunderland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northumberland County Council</span> Local authority in North East England

Northumberland County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having also taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham County Council</span> Local authority in North East England

Durham County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of County Durham in North East England. The council is a unitary authority, being a non-metropolitan county council which also performs the functions of a non-metropolitan district council. It has its headquarters at County Hall in Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined authorities and combined county authorities</span> Type of local government institution in England

A combined authority (CA) is a type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. CAs are created voluntarily and allow a group of local authorities to pool appropriate responsibility and receive certain devolved functions from central government in order to deliver transport and economic policy more effectively over a wider area. In areas where local government is two-tier, both must participate in the combined authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyne and Wear County Council</span>

Tyne and Wear County Council was the county council of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in northeast England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1974 and was abolished on 1 April 1986. The county council was based at Sandyford House in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was replaced with five unitary authorities: Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Tyneside Council</span> Local government body in England

North Tyneside Council, or North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the North East Combined Authority since 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North East Combined Authority (2014–2024)</span> Abolished local government institution in North East England

The North East Combined Authority (NECA), officially the Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority, was one of the combined authorities in North East England. It was created in 2014, and consisted of the City of Sunderland; Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, South Tyneside; and Durham County local authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Tyneside Council</span>

South Tyneside Council is the local authority of for the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. It is one of five metropolitan boroughs in Tyne and Wear and one of 36 in England. It provides the majority of local government services in South Tyneside. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1979. It is based at South Shields Town Hall. The council is a constituent member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority.

The North East Green Belt, also known as the Tyne & Wear Green Belt, is a non-statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates the rural space in part of the North East region of England. It is centred on the county of Tyne and Wear, with areas of green belt extending into Northumberland and County Durham. It functions to protect surrounding towns and villages outside the Tyneside/Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wearside/Sunderland conurbations from further convergence. This is managed by local planning authorities on guidance from central government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North of Tyne Combined Authority</span> Local government body in north east England

The North of Tyne Combined Authority was a mayoral combined authority which consisted of the local authorities of Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland, all in North East England. The authority came into being on 2 November 2018 under the statutory name Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority. The three local authorities previously formed part of the North East Combined Authority, which continued to exist covering a smaller area. The two combined authorities cooperated on the North East Joint Transport Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North of Tyne mayoral election</span> First mayoral election in the North of Tyne

The inaugural North of Tyne mayoral election was held on 2 May 2019 to elect the first Mayor of the North of Tyne. The area is made up of Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland. Subsequent elections will be held every five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North East Joint Transport Committee</span>

The North East Joint Transport Committee was a special joint committee of the North East Combined Authority and the North of Tyne Combined Authority. It is responsible for public transport policy in Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland in England. It is the governing body of Nexus, the trading name of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive. The inaugural meeting was held on 20 November 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Driscoll</span> British independent politician

Jamie Driscoll is a British independent politician who served as the metro mayor of the North of Tyne Combined Authority from 2019 to 2024. He was previously a councillor on Newcastle City Council for the Monument ward.

References

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  2. "Contact us". 19 March 2024.
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