Minutes:
The Council noted a report from Councillor A Hopgood, Leader of the Council as follows:
Just after Christmas the government announced it was minded to agree a devolution deal for the north east and last week Cabinet endorsed the proposal.
If it progressed, the deal would bring £4.2 billion of investment to the north east, including £48 million a year to support inclusive economic growth and support regeneration priorities, and £900 million for transport.
This, in addition to an indicative budget of £60 million a year for adult education and skills, and £69 million of investment in housing and regeneration.
This significant investment and the devolution of powers to our region was all the more important given last week’s announcement on levelling up funding.
A public consultation on how devolution would work will begin next week, with details of how to get involved available on the County Council’s website. Councillor Hopgood encouraged all Members to share the link with residents and businesses in their wards to ensure everyone had the opportunity to have their say.
The Joint Administration remained hugely ambitious for County Durham and would not let last week’s news deter it from its plans to build County Durham’s economy and further develop communities.
Councillor C Marshall expressed disappointment that the Council’s five levelling up bids, which cost £2m had been unsuccessful and asked the Leader of the Council what she considered levelling up was to the residents of County Durham. The Leader of the Council replied that the Joint Administration had demonstrated its ambition for County Durham, adding the criteria for bids for levelling up were changed after the Council had submitted its bids so that any Council which received funding in the first round would not receive funding in the second round. The Joint Administration was taking this up with Government.