Mayor issues plan over shortcomings of Teesworks

TEES Valley mayor Ben Houchen has issued a 28-point action plan that aims to tackle some of the issues raised in a wide-ranging report into shortcomings on the Teesworks project.

Lord Houchen’s response to the report has been sent to Levelling Up and Communities Secretary Michael Gove with agreement from the area’s five council leaders. It comes after a report in January found no evidence of corruption or illegality at the Teesworks scheme, but a list of failings related to governance and transparency at the multimillion-pound project.

Among the actions agreed by the Teesside leaders, experts from the Local Government Association and the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny have been asked to work with the Tees Valley Combined Authority to ensure that some of the issues highlighted in the Teesworks report are not repeated. Advice from a top lawyer is also being sought on the financial liabilities incurred by the combined authority and the South Tees Development Corporation on Teesworks.

In his letter to Mr Gove, Lord Houchen said that the combined authority would “work at pace” to implement the action plan, which has been drawn up by senior officers at the five local councils.

The report into the Teesworks scheme was ordered by Mr Gove last year after allegations of wrongdoing were raised by a number of politicians, including Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald.

A panel of local government experts found that the handling of the project by the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the South Tees Development had not always been robust enough to provide evidence of value for money. It also highlighted how major decisions were often taken with members of the authority only getting information at short notice.