DCLG consults on combined authorities for North East and West Yorkshire

The consultation on the proposed North East combined authority follows proposals drawn by the seven councils in the LA7 Leadership Board and backed by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

The councils are: Durham Council; Gateshead Council; Newcastle City Council; North Tyneside Council; Northumberland Council; South Tyneside Council; and Sunderland City Council.

The proposal would see the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority replaced with a combined authority that has responsibility for strategic transport, economic development and regeneration across the area.

The Government said it would give particular weight to evidence from the consultation about the level of local support the proposal for a combined authority commanded.

This comes after local electors in the Government Office Region of the North East voted in November 2004 decisively against an elected assembly for the North East region. On a 48% turnout, 78% of those who voted rejected the proposed assembly.

The West Yorkshire scheme has meanwhile been developed by the five authorities in the region – Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield – with the support of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and City of York Council.

The measures would also see the replacement of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority.

As for the North East, the West Yorkshire proposal was drawn up following a governance review of the arrangements across the region.

The consultation paper on the North East authority can be viewed here, while that for West Yorkshire can be viewed here.