North East Combined Authority


The North East Combined Authority is a combined authority that covers part of the North East region of England. It was established by statutory instrument under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 on 15 April 2014. It is a strategic authority with powers over transport, economic development and regeneration. At its first meeting on 15 April 2014, Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, was elected as its chair. The functions, property, rights and liabilities of the former Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority were inherited by the North East Combined Authority, forming an executive body within the new authority as the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.
It was announced in October 2015 that the authority would receive an enhanced devolution settlement and elect a mayor in 2017. The plans were later cancelled by the Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid on 8 September 2016, after Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside, and Sunderland Councils withdrew their support. The current non-mayoral combined authority arrangements will continue.
In November 2018, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Borough Council, and Northumberland County Council left the North East Combined Authority and formed the new North of Tyne Combined Authority. For transport policy the two combined authorities come together to form the North East Joint Transport Committee.

History

In order to create a combined authority, the local authorities in the proposed area must undertake a governance review and produce a scheme of their proposals.

Naming

The order which established the combined authority referred to it as the Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority, simply listing the names of the constituent councils in alphabetical order. The initial consultation used the name Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Combined Authority. The body uses the name North East Combined Authority or NECA. The board is known as the North East Leadership Board. The legal name of the authority was changed to Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority in November 2018.

Membership

The membership of the combined authority is as follows:

Local government

The combined authority consists of the following authorities :
AuthorityTypePopulationArea Pop. density
GatesheadMetropolitan borough
South TynesideMetropolitan borough
SunderlandMetropolitan borough
DurhamUnitary authority