North of Tyne Combined Authority | |
---|---|
North of Tyne Combined Authority within England | |
Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Founded | 2 November 2018 |
Leadership | |
Elected Mayor | Jamie Driscoll since 6 May 2019 |
Structure | |
Joint committees | North East Joint Transport Committee |
Meeting place | |
The Quadrant, Cobalt Business Park, Wallsend | |
Website | |
www |
The North of Tyne Combined Authority is the combined authority for the historic county boundaries of Northumberland, North East England.[1] 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.[2] For transport policy the two combined authorities come together to form the North East Joint Transport Committee.[3]
The authority met for the first time on 8 November 2018 at Morpeth Town Hall. Norma Redfearn, the elected mayor of North Tyneside Council, was appointed the chair until an interim mayor was appointed.[4] At the combined authority cabinet meeting held on 4 December 2018, Norma Redfearn was confirmed as the interim mayor, and remained in post until the election of Labour and Co-operative's Jamie Driscoll as the authority's first directly elected mayor.
The authority was formed on 2 November 2018 and in May 2019, elections were held for a directly elected regional mayor who has taken control of certain powers and funding devolved from Westminster to the newly formed region.[5] A fund of £600 million over 30 years, to be administered by the new mayor, was announced in the November 2017 budget.[6]
The responsibilities and governance of the three constituent local authorities will remain unchanged.[7]
The total population of the combined area is approximately 816,000[8] and it covers an area of 2,012 square miles (5,210 km2).[9] Despite the name "North of Tyne," parts of the area are south of the River Tyne, including the towns of Hexham and Prudhoe.
On 27 April 2018, Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle City Council voted to support the proposal.[10] In November 2018 parliament approved the proposal and the first election for the combined authority took place on 2 May 2019 along with the other elections across the United Kingdom.[11]
The 2020 Spring Budget from central government reserves funding for "intra-city transport" between Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear, which has been interpreted by some as meaning the borders of the North of Tyne Combined Authority could be adjusted.[12]
Following the release of the Levelling Up White Paper in February 2022, it was announced that the North of Tyne is proposed to be replaced by a larger North East combined authority; it would include South Tyneside and Sunderland, County Durham is currently in pursuit of an independent devolution plan.[13] This would come with an expansion of powers, with transport, various other local powers and incorporating the police and crime commissioner role for Northumbria Police- as the borders would be the same- inline with other metro mayors. It is a high probability the next election will take place during the 2024 United Kingdom local elections.[13]
Formal membership of the North of Tyne Combined Authority consists of those serving on the following statutory committees:
The Cabinet of the Combined Authority met for the first time on 8 November 2018 at Morpeth Town Hall in Northumberland. The current membership of the Cabinet is as follows:
Name | Position within Nominating Authority | Nominating Authority | Portfolio within North of Tyne
Combined Authority Cabinet | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jamie Driscoll | Elected Mayor of North of Tyne | North of Tyne Combined Authority | Elected Mayor of North of Tyne, Chair of Cabinet | |
Norma Redfearn | Elected Mayor of North Tyneside | North Tyneside Council | Deputy Mayor of North of Tyne, Vice Chair of Cabinet,
Cabinet Member for Housing and Land | |
Nick Forbes | Leader of the Council | Newcastle City Council | Cabinet Member for Business Competitiveness | |
Glen Sanderson | Leader of the Council | Northumberland County Council | Cabinet Member for Place and Productivity | |
Bruce Pickard | Statutory Deputy Mayor | North Tyneside Council | Cabinet Member for Economic Growth | |
Joyce McCarty | Deputy Leader of the Council | Newcastle City Council | Cabinet Member for Employability and Inclusion | |
Wayne Daley | Deputy Leader of the Council | Northumberland County Council | Cabinet Member for Education Improvement |
The North of Tyne Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee had its first meeting on 17 December 2018. The membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is as follows:
Name | Position | Nominating Authority | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gregah Alan Roughead | Chair | Northumberland County Council | Former Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed | |
Linda Wright | Vice Chair | Newcastle City Council | Former Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne | |
Stephen Fairlie | Committee Member | Newcastle City Council | ||
Anita Lower | Committee Member | Newcastle City Council | Leader of the Opposition on Newcastle City Council | |
Gordon Stewart | Committee Member | Northumberland County Council | ||
Susan Dungworth | Committee Member | Northumberland County Council | Leader of the Opposition on Northumberland County Council | |
Sandra Graham | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council | ||
Margaret Hall | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council | ||
Gary Bell | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council |
The membership of the Audit and Standards Committee is as follows:
Name | Position | Nominating Authority | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clare Penny-Evans | Committee Member | Newcastle City Council | Vice Chair of Audit Committee, Newcastle City Council | |
Alistair Chisholm | Committee Member | Newcastle City Council | ||
Anita Lower | Committee Member | Newcastle City Council | Leader of the Opposition on Newcastle City Council | |
Mark David Swinburn | Committee Member | Northumberland County Council | Vice Chair of Audit Committee, Northumberland County Council | |
Jeffrey George Watson | Committee Member | Northumberland County Council | Civic Head of Northumberland | |
Scott James Dickinson | Committee Member | Northumberland County Council | Former Business Chair of Northumberland County Council | |
Ray Glindon | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council | ||
Debbie Cox | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council | ||
Martin Rankin | Committee Member | North Tyneside Council |
The Combined Authority consists of the following authorities (2019 population estimates):
Authority | Type | Population | Area (km²) | Pop. Density (per km²) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northumberland | Unitary authority | 322,434 | 5,014 | 64 |
Newcastle upon Tyne | Metropolitan borough | 302,820 | 113.5 | 2,646 |
North Tyneside | Metropolitan borough | 207,913 | 82.32 | 2,502 |