THE leader of the North-East’s “super council” has rejected claims it is a stepping stone to regional government.

Simon Henig, Labour leader of Durham County Council and chair of the North-East Combined Authority (NECA), was responding to Richard Bell, leader of the Conservative group on Durham council, who had suggested NECA was a first step towards regional government and “bureaucracy”.

Councillor Henig said with the government cuts currently facing councils “this kind of integration is inevitable”.

However, he added: “It certainly doesn’t mean we’re going to move immediately to some sort of regional government.

“We are trying to (work) with existing resources as much as we possibly can. That will continue to be the case and key changes and debates will be brought back to this chamber.”

Liberal Democrat David Freeman asked Cllr Henig whether he supported the creation of a single North-East mayor – said to be the government’s condition for devolving more powers to NECA.

Cllr Henig said he wanted to focus on powers, not governance structures, but there appeared to be a difference of opinion within government over whether accepting an elected mayor was compulsory.