Issue details

The Tees Valley Combined authority was established on 1 April 2016. In September 2016 the first tranche of funding of £15m was transferred to the Combined Authority as a flexible revenue grant directed to the Tees Valley’s priorities. The ongoing funding is conditional on the devolution deal agreed with Government and one of the requirements is for a directly elected mayor.

Changes to the constitutional arrangements of Combined Authority are required in order to set out the arrangements for the Combined Authority to become a Mayoral Combined Authority. These include matters relating to decision making, the respective powers and responsibilities as well as checks and balances.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has been working with the Combined Authority in defining the powers and functions that will apply to the Combined Authority after the election of a mayor.

These are now set out in two draft statutory instruments:

The Tees Valley Combined Authority (Functions) Order 2017, and
The Tees Valley Combined Authority (Functions and Amendment) Order 2017

The ‘Functions’ Order - provides powers to designate mayoral development areas and create Mayoral Development Corporations, for transitional arrangements that allow the Combined Authority to exercise these powers ahead of the mayoral election; and funding provisions to support the functions conferred.

The draft statutory instruments have been considered by the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the five constituent authorities.

On the 17 January 2017 the Chief Executives of the constituent authorities were advised by the Department for Communities and Local Government that consent from the 5 Councils was to be received by the 18 January 2017, in order that the draft statutory instruments could be laid before Parliament.

Note – the reports to Council on 24 November 2016 and to Cabinet on 25 November 2016 set out further details