North of Tyne Combined Authority
Former combined authority in north east England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The North of Tyne Combined Authority was a mayoral combined authority which consisted of the local authorities of Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland, all in North East England.[3] The authority came into being on 2 November 2018 under the statutory name "Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority". The three constituent local authorities previously formed part of the North East Combined Authority (2014–2024), which continued to exist, albeit covering a smaller area, south of the River Tyne. The two combined authorities co-operated on the North East Joint Transport Committee.[4][5]
North of Tyne Combined Authority Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority | |
|---|---|
| |
 North of Tyne Combined Authority within England | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 2 November 2018 |
| Disbanded | 7 May 2024 |
| Succeeded by | North East Mayoral Combined Authority |
| Leadership | |
Mayor | |
| Structure | |
Joint committees | North East Joint Transport Committee |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 2 May 2019 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| The Lumen, Newcastle Helix, St James Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne[2] | |
| Website | |
www | |
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.[6] 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.
In its levelling up white paper, published in February 2022, the UK government announced its intention to replace both North of Tyne combined authority and North East Combined Authority (2014–2024) with a single North East Mayoral Combined Authority. This was created in 2024. North of Tyne Combined Authority ceased to exist in May 2024.
History
The authority was formed on 2 November 2018 and in May 2019, elections were held for a directly elected regional mayor who took control of certain powers and funding devolved from Westminster to the newly formed region.[7] A fund of £600 million over 30 years, to be administered by the new mayor, was announced in the November 2017 budget.[8]
The responsibilities and governance of the three constituent local authorities remained unchanged.[9][dead link]
The total population of the combined authority area was approximately 867,000[note 2] and it covered an area of 2,014 square miles (5,215 km2).[note 3] Despite the name "North of Tyne", parts of the authority area were south of the River Tyne, including the towns of Hexham and Prudhoe.
On 27 April 2018, Northumberland County Council, North Tyneside Council, and Newcastle City Council voted to support the establishment of the new combined authority.[11] In November 2018, parliament approved the proposal and the first election for the combined authority's mayor took place on 2 May 2019 along with the other elections across the United Kingdom.[12]
Following the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper in February 2022, it was proposed that the Combined Authority would be enlarged, with Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland joining. County Durham was pursuing an independent devolution plan at that time.[13] The enlargement did eventually come with an expansion of powers, including those for transport, and incorporating the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner role into the mayor's responsibilities. The final election took place during the May 2024 United Kingdom local elections.[13]
Membership
Formal membership of the North of Tyne Combined Authority consisted of those serving on the following statutory committees:
- Cabinet
- Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- Audit and Standards Committee
Local Government
North of Tyne Combined Authority consisted of the following authorities (2024 population estimates):[14]
| Authority | Type | Population | Area (km²) | Pop. Density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland | Unitary authority | 331,420 | 5,020 | 66 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Metropolitan borough | 320,605 | 113 | 2,826 |
| North Tyneside | Metropolitan borough | 215,025 | 82 | 2,613 |
Mayor
| Name | Picture | Term of office | Elected | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norma Redfearn Interim Mayor |
 |
4 December 2018 | 2 May 2019 | — | Labour | |
| Jamie Driscoll |  |
6 May 2019 | 6 May 2024 | 2019 |
| |
Footnotes
- When elected as Mayor in May 2019, Driscoll represented the Labour and Co-operative Party. He left the Labour Party in June 2023 and remained in post as an Independent.[1]
- Newcastle upon Tyne, 320,605; North Tyneside, 215,025; Northumberland, 331,420.[10]