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| Mayor of Tees Valley | |
|---|---|
| Post | Mayor of Tees Valley |
| Body | Tees Valley Combined Authority |
| Member of | Tees Valley Combined Authority |
| Formation | 2016 |
| Inaugural | Ben Houchen |
Mayor of Tees Valley
The Mayor of Tees Valley is the directly elected civic leader for the Tees Valley Combined Authority, created by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 and tied to local areas including Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, and Darlington. The office interacts with national institutions such as the UK Parliament, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and devolved arrangements modelled after Greater Manchester Combined Authority and West Midlands Combined Authority. The post has shaped regional projects linked to the Teesworks site, port infrastructure at Port of Tees and Hartlepool, and transport schemes associated with Network Rail and Teesside Airport.
The office emerged from policy debates involving the Coalition Government and later the Theresa May ministry over devolution, drawing on precedents like the Localism Act 2011 and deals negotiated by the Northern Powerhouse agenda. Early milestones included negotiations among unitary authorities including Middlesbrough Borough Council, Stockton Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Darlington Borough Council, and Hartlepool Borough Council to form the Tees Valley Combined Authority in 2016. The first election coincided with broader metropolitan mayoral contests such as in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region, while funding and governance arrangements referenced grants from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and initiatives by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Industrial regeneration programs connected to the office referenced historical frameworks like the Industrial Strategy and parties including Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), and smaller groups such as the Liberal Democrats (UK) and UK Independence Party.
Statutory powers derive from legislation passed in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and agreements with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. The mayor chairs the Tees Valley Combined Authority alongside council leaders from Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, and Darlington. Functional areas include strategic transport planning linked to Network Rail and the Tees Valley Metro proposals, spatial planning interacting with Middlesbrough Development Corporation-style entities, and skills funding arrangements with bodies like the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The role negotiates investment for projects such as Teesworks redevelopment, port enhancements at the Port of Tyne and Port of Tees and Hartlepool, and energy initiatives referencing firms like National Grid and projects in the North Sea Transition Deal.
Elections follow rules set by the Electoral Commission and the Representation of the People Act 1983 framework adapted for mayoral contests, employing the Supplementary vote system in early cycles and later variations as legislated by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Candidates have represented parties including Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and independents affiliated with civic campaigns. The mayoral term length mirrors arrangements used in other combined authorities such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, with terms tied to local election timetables influenced by orders from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Mayoral responsibilities include leading regional economic strategies aligned with the Northern Powerhouse and negotiating devolution deals with the UK Government. Initiatives have targeted brownfield regeneration at Teesworks, port and logistics expansion involving the Port of Tees and Hartlepool, transport upgrades linked to Network Rail and TransPennine Express, and skills programmes with the Education and Skills Funding Agency and local further education colleges such as Stockton Riverside College. Other initiatives interact with national programmes like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and partnerships with organisations including Tees Valley Business and Highways England.
- Ben Houchen — inaugural mayor elected in 2017, affiliated with the Conservative Party (UK), involved in projects such as Teesworks and port development at the Port of Tees and Hartlepool. - Subsequent holders have been contested by figures from the Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and independents drawn from local authorities including Middlesbrough Borough Council and Stockton Borough Council.
The office has attracted scrutiny from regional politicians in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Darlington over procurement linked to Teesworks and grant allocations from the UK Government. Debates have referenced transparency mechanisms overseen by the National Audit Office and complaints lodged with the Local Government Ombudsman and the Electoral Commission regarding campaign finance and governance. Political critiques have come from national figures in the Labour Party (UK) and local oppositions in councils such as Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, with media coverage in outlets like BBC News and The Northern Echo.
Category:Local government in North East England