Metro for Tees Valley moves a step closer (From The Northern Echo)

Metro for Tees Valley moves a step closer

6:02am Monday 17th March 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

PLANS to create a £140m metro system for the Tees Valley moved a significant step closer last night as the Government revealed that the area's bid to win city-region status had impressed ministers.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears praised the Tees Valley bid to form a powerful cross-council coalition - known as a "multi-area agreement" (MAA) - that would give the area extra spending power to improve housing, buses and roads.

The news came as the Conservative Party unveiled a North-East transport plan at its spring conference in Gateshead.

Five councils - Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton - want permission to pool their budgets to provide more muscle to press ahead with regeneration priorities, with an official announcement from the Government expected in June.

At stake is the question of how more than £600m will be spent over ten years on the priorities identified in a 100-page strategy published 18 months ago.

Top of the list is the 30-year-old dream of a metro-style light rail scheme across Teesside.

The metro would link Saltburn to Darlington, serving Durham Tees Valley Airport, with new track laid alongside the existing railway.

The MAA would not, on its own, be sufficient to build the £140m Tees Valley metro system, but it would bolster a business case already with the Department for Transport.

Joe Docherty, chief executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, which is working on a business plan, welcomed the news.

He said: "I think the recognition of the Tees Valley as a city-region would add to the case for a metro system.

"All five local authorities have always been very supportive of the scheme, and I hope that, by the end of the year, we will have some clarity of if and when a metro system will be delivered."

In an interview with The Northern Echo, Ms Blears said the Tees Valley, together with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, had submitted the most detailed proposals.

She said: "This is about new ways of getting groups of local authorities to work together better and be able to drive economic development in their areas.

"Teesside is one of the leading areas in developing a multi-area agreement, to be able to have more say locally on housing, planning, transport, and skills.

"If Teesside is able to sign off its MAA, then what we want to do is give it more power in determining what the priorities should be around these issues, which are vital to economic growth."

The city-region plans include building 5,000 homes and improving a further 2,700, in areas identified as suffering from "market failure" - such as South Bank, near Middlesbrough.

The councils also hope to end the "free-for-all" on local buses, by exploiting new legislation to gain London-style powers to decide routes and fares.

Councillor George Dunning, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: "The foundations are already well established.

"We are looking to the future and, hopefully, we can get the regeneration plans under way soon."

John Williams, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: "We have been very successful in achieving improvements in the economy by working together across the Tees Valley.

"We expect that, by continuing to work together, through the new multi-area agreement with the Government, it will lead to further improvements in the economy, housing and transport."

Councillor Ken Lupton, leader of Stockton Borough Council, said: "Everyone appears to be behind the scheme, we are very optimistic about the future."

In another boost for the region, David Cameron revealed at his party's conference that he is considering making the long-awaited upgrade of the A1 and improvements to rail links to the North-East priorities under a Conservative Government.

Speaking at the conference, William Hague, leader of campaigning in the region, and MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, said: "I can announce that we are establishing a special policy commission to inform the work of the next Conservative Government, with the task of reviewing the transport needs and links of the North of England and making recommendations on the priorities for the future."

Ms Blears also urged more of the region's authorities to rethink their apparent rejection of a powerful elected mayor to drive forward improvements - pointing to the success of Ray Mallon, in Middlesbrough.

Ms Blears said: "In Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon has done an excellent job. I think about 79 per cent of people in Middlesbrough feel safe on the streets at night.

"People are looking for a leader, someone who can make things happen.

"If you have one person, there is a very clear way of doing it."