Find Out More About North East Devolution

South Tyneside Council is hosting the first in a series of consultation events on regional decentralisation.

Following the announcement of a £4.2billion decentralization deal, a public consultation is now underway to give people across the region a chance to understand how the government’s proposed decentralization deal could be implemented and have their say .

The first public consultation event on North East Devolution will be held on Monday, February 13 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This event will be attended by Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, Chief Executive Jonathan Tew and Council Officers.

Residents and businesses are invited to listen to a presentation at The Round, The Word in South Shields, followed by a question and answer session.

Anyone interested in attending the South Tyneside event is asked to register via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/devolution-face-to-face-consultation-tickets-530490139287

Cllr Tracey Dixon, Head of South Tyneside Council, said: “The North East Decentralization Agreement gives us a unique opportunity to bring billions of dollars of investment to the region.

“We have successfully negotiated a proposed deal that is a significant step in securing important decision-making power and investment for our region. This would allow us to make decisions that reflect local needs and invest wisely in projects that make a difference for all of us residents, communities and local economies.

“We now need to work with people across the region to move the deal to the next phase, and I want to encourage residents and businesses to get involved in the process.”

In addition to the public consultation event on February 13, the council is engaging with residents at the local level through a series of presentations at each district community area forum:

· 9/2 East Shields & Whitburn CAF 6pm

· 16/2 Jarrow CAF 10am

20/2 Hebburn CAF 10am

23/2 West Shields & East Boldon CAF 10:00am

7/3 Riverside CAF 10am

The cabinets of the seven local authorities in the north-east have agreed on the terms and procedure for the decentralization agreement. The consultation, which runs until March 23, gives residents and businesses a chance to review and comment on the proposed system, which focuses on the plan that will detail how decentralization will be implemented.

As well as multi-billion pound investments in the region, significant powers would be transferred from the central government to the North East under the deal.

Residents, businesses and other stakeholders can provide feedback online or attend a series of in-person and virtual events taking place across the Northeast.

At the end of the consultation period, a report is submitted to each cabinet and a summary of the consultation replies and any proposed submissions on behalf of the councils are sent to the Foreign Secretary for consideration before an executive order is issued in Parliament.

To find out more and complete the online questionnaire, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/devolution