BRINGING jobs to rural towns and villages is key to reviving the region's economy, business and political leaders said yesterday.
Speaking at the launch of a plan to get more people into work, key figures from the region vowed that County Durham and North Yorkshire's market towns and villages will not be left behind.
Regional development agency One NorthEast yesterday unveiled an action plan aimed at creating 22,000 more businesses and boosting output by £6bn by 2016.
The report says developing the "city regions" of Tyne and Wear and the Tees Valley is vital - but speakers from business and local government stressed rural areas will not miss out.
Margaret Fay, chairwoman of One NorthEast, said broadband internet technology must be expanded to make it easier to run hi-tech businesses from remote areas.
"There's a lot of evidence that urban centres are the hubs of any region and are important. However, we can't ignore our rural hinterland," she said.
The Regional Economic Strategy Action Plan sets out how One NorthEast and other organisations aims to increase each person's contribution to the economy from an average of £33,000 per year to £41,000.
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