Whitehall has signed off on a £100m investment fund for the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) before its closure next year.
The combined authority has passed the first of its ‘Gateway Reviews’, unlocking £20m of central Government funding per year until 2027-28.
Following last year’s agreement of the new North East Devolution Deal, the NTCA will continue to receive this money until the establishment of a new ‘North East Mayoral Combined Authority’. The funding will then be included in the new region-wide investment fund.
In a letter to the mayor, the minister for levelling up, Dehenna Davison MP, said she trusted that the good news gave combined authority ‘the certainty to continue investing in your programme until closure of the NTCA and provide clarity going forward as the combined authority transitions’.
Responding to the review, NTCA’s CEO, Dr Henry Kippin said: ‘This is excellent news for our residents, businesses, and communities – testament to the leadership of our cross-party cabinet and much dedication, hard work, and collaboration across the NTCA and local authority teams.’
Metro mayor for the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said: ‘This is much more than just a thumbs up – it’s validating and sets a confident tone as we get ready to take things to the next level. Hats off to the team for getting us past this important milestone.’
