A BODY scrutinising hundreds of millions of pounds of spending has been unable to vote on anything because not enough councillors have turned up. 

For the fourth time in less than 12 months, the latest Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) overview and scrutiny committee failed to be quorate. 

The devolved authority, which is led by Conservative mayor Ben Houchen, has a £588.2m investment plan lined up until 2029. 

It was a familiar tale last Thursday as no decision could be legally ratified by the panel which keeps an eye on this spending. 

Frustrated chairwoman Cllr Norma Stephenson recalled how her report on diversity at councils in the Tees Valley had hit the buffers due to the problem. 

She added: “This is also the only committee in the Tees Valley which can’t have substitutes. Even the cabinet can have substitutes. 

“I don’t know who sat down and wrote the paper because we elect chairs and vice-chairs – and the borough councils select councillors to come on here – but the cabinet can overrule it. It’s not the combined authority’s fault – it’s the statute.

“It does make you wonder because we’ve had quite a few (meetings) like this.”

Regulations mean at least one councillor from at least four of the five local authorities in the Tees Valley – Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington and Hartlepool – need to turn up for the panel to be able to vote on anything. 

The panel also needs at least ten out of 15 members to attend. 

Efforts to try and change these rules in the TVCA’s constitution have failed thus far. 

Former Darlington Council leader Stephen Harker believed the rules were a “high bar” to meet.

Video-conferencing and more flexible meeting times have been suggested to try and boost attendance levels at meetings.

Councillors have branded levels of attendance “verging on farcical” at the panel in the past.

After the meeting, Mr Houchen had little sympathy for the committee – claiming leaders of local councils had agreed and set up the rules when the combined authority was formed. 

He added: “If local authorities want control, you have to turn up.

“They are councillors and turning up to meetings is what they are supposed to do.”