A COUNCIL chief has rejected criticism that a public consultation into plans for a combined Tees Valley authority “failed”.

It was revealed last week that the seven week-long consultation elicited just 1,900 responses of which 65 per cent were in favour of the proposal.

Tees Valley Unlimited, the Local Enterprise Partnership for the authorities of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton on Tees, said the level of response had been “above the norm”.

But critics have pointed out that with a combined population of between 650,000 and 700,000 it was not representative and an online petition has now been launched calling for the consultation to be run again.

Michael Walker, from Darlington, who has created the petition on the change.org website, said: “With such a small number of responses it is evident the public consultation has failed.”

Mr Walker claimed there was “increasing dissatisfaction” over the issue from local voters being expressed on social media sites and via the petition about what some see as “just another quango”.

Among those commenting on the petition, Alec Gough, from Hartlepool, said: “I believe that the consultation exercise was not conducted correctly and that a local referendum should be held.”

Jean Jones, from Darlington, who wrote to The Northern Echo to express her views, said: “With a total population for the new authority of nearly 700,000 I am surprised that a survey which produced only 1,900 replies should be sufficient to bring about this important change.”

Councillor Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Council and vice chairman of Tees Valley Unlimited, said: “The consultation was widely publicised with coverage in the local and regional media and the five local authorities and Tees Valley Unlimited also engaged with a range of businesses and residents’ groups.

“Indeed, compared to other much larger and more populated areas that have consulted on creating a combined authority, our process elicited a much bigger response.

“There also will be another opportunity for views to be expressed as the Government will conduct a consultation exercise once the proposals are presented to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.”

Cllr Dixon said with all three major political parties committed to the idea of combined authorities the Tees Valley faced a stark choice – either form its own or be forced to join another.

He said the new set-up would not be a recreation of the old Cleveland County Council, as some have feared, and it would not have any tax raising powers.

There would also be no change in the way local services were delivered which would continue to be the responsibility of the individual authorities.

Those behind the proposed move say the combined authority – which will initially comprise the leaders and elected mayors from the five councils – will be able to take advantage of new powers and funding and better co-ordinate economic boosting activity.

But question marks remain over its cost and how much power it will have.