A CONTENTIOUS plan to invest £500,000 of public money into Durham Tees Valley Airport was approved during a fractious meeting this morning.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen clashed with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s leader Sue Jeffrey over the proposal to help Peel, the operator of the airport, to keep services working smoothly.

The decision comes the day after a row broke out between Mr Houchen and the company following the announcement that Loganair was shelving flights, predominantly for offshore workers, just months after they were launched.

A very public row between Mr Houchen and the five council leaders, involved in the Tees Valley Combined Authority, reached a crescendo this morning when the £500,000 proposal was brought back to the table.

Throughout the 30-minute meeting, both Mr Houchen and Cllr Jeffrey clashed over the £500,000 budget amendment that would see the cash being used to develop new routes and improve terminal facilities.

The council leaders of Darlington, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland, voted unanimously for the amendment to be carried into the budget.

However, the decision can still be vetoed by the Mayor when it becomes time to actually allocate the funding.