Tees Valley Mayor sets up cross-authority working group to implement recommendations of independent review as Gove gives six-month deadline for update
The Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, has set up a cross-authority working group including statutory officers from all five constituent authorities of the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) to consider and agree an action plan for implementation of the recommendations contained in the recent independent review of the Teesworks Joint Venture.
Set up to examine allegations made over the TVCA’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) and Teesworks Joint Venture, the independent review found no evidence of corruption or illegality.
However, the report did find that there were "issues of governance and transparency that need to be addressed and a number of decisions taken by the bodies involved [did] not meet the standards expected when managing public funds".
In a letter to the Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, Mayor Houchen promised he would work "at pace" to develop an action plan in response to the report’s 26 recommendations. [The proposed action plan is set out as an appendix to the letter.]
Houchen also revealed that he had appointed a Board sponsor for the working group who will provide feedback on the proposals as they progress to ensure that they address matters from an STDC perspective.
Once this work is completed, the action plan, together with the revised governance arrangements and constitutions, will be submitted to the next available TVCA Cabinet and STDC Board together for approval. The plan will also be considered by STDC and TVCA audit and governance committees as well as the TVCA Overview and Scrutiny committee, the Mayor said.
The changes will also be incorporated into the processes and documentation of Hartlepool and Middlesbrough Development Corporations “to ensure the best practice is consistent across all of the TVCA affiliated statutory bodies”.
The Mayor meanwhile said that:
- The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny would be asked to consider the scrutiny arrangements and undertake training for officers and committee members following the establishment of new committees following the AGM;
- The Local Government Association would be invited to undertake workshops with Cabinet and senior officers within TVCA, STDC and the relevant local authorities “to ensure a level of independent rigour is applied to the implementation of the recommendations and to ensure that Tees Valley governance systems work in practice going forwards”.
A letter from Michael Gove published yesterday (7 March) revealed that the Secretary of State has called on the Tees Valley Mayor to provide a further report in six months’ time, with an update on detailed proposals for the recommendations, progress in implementing these, and the impact of these plans.
In a written ministerial statement also issued yesterday, updating MPs on recent developments in relation to a range of statutory interventions, Simon Hoare, Minister for Local Government, said he was encouraged by the progress made within the first month since the report was issued and he was keen to give time for the Mayor to develop his plans further and implement the changes required.
“These will enhance the successes of the Teesworks regeneration by ensuring governance arrangements and accountability are strong and transparent, and supported by robust scrutiny. Given the issues raised in the report, it is important that rapid progress is made that engages comprehensively with the substance of the report’s findings to implement lasting change,” the Minister said.
Harry Rodd
