THE region faces a revolution in decision-making within weeks of the new Conservative-Liberal government coming to power, The Northern Echo can reveal today.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles will bring forward plans to strip out Labour’s “regional tier” of government, while also pushing for powerful “executive mayors” in towns and cities.

The Government’s war on red tape means:

■ The end of the ten-year blueprint mapping out the North-East’s regional development;

■ Forcing councils to account for all spending above £500;

■ Plans to sweep away town hall bureaucrats, replacing them with all-powerful executive mayors;

■ Moves to strip authorities of powers over new schools;

■ Plans for elected police commissioners to oversee law enforcement.

The agenda means wielding the axe on the regional spatial strategy (RSS), the blueprint to deliver infrastructure, housing, transport and business investment over the next decade.

Mr Pickles will defy Labour warnings that key infrastructure projects – such as new rail lines, roads, bridges, wind farms and waste disposal plants – will “grind to a halt”.

A Bill in the Queen’s Speech, on May 25, is also expected to pave the way for a referendum day next May to create executive mayors far more powerful than the existing 11 directly-elected leaders outside London. They would enjoy Boris Johnson-style powers over housing, planning and regeneration, with responsibility for transport also possibly up for grabs.

The executive mayors could abolish their local council’s chief executive and embrace responsibility for staff recruitment, day-to-day running and spending.

There would be compulsory polls in England’s 12 biggest cities, including Newcastle.

Other towns and cities would be urged to hold referendums on the same day. The region’s existing mayors – Ray Mallon (Middlesbrough), Stuart Drummond (Hartlepool) and Linda Arkley (North Tyneside) – could automatically gain the beefed-up responsibilities.

Asked about Referendum Day, an insider at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), replied: “It will be shaped by what is in the Queen’s Speech, but we expect that to be an early priority.”

The source added: “We expect the new Secretary of State will move forward very quickly on scrapping the regional tier of government, which means housing targets and the spatial strategies.”

Mr Pickles is also expected to speed up a crackdown on so-called town hall “fat cats”

after attacking local authority figures “paid like football managers”.

Town halls could be made to publish online every item of spending above £500 and councils will be barred from blocking plans for new free schools to be set up by parents, charities and businesses.

The North-East RSS was unveiled two years ago, aiming to deliver 73,000 jobs, 128,900 homes, and 3,400 hectares of land for new business by 2021.

The future of the One North East and Yorkshire Forward development agencies is less certain, because they fall under the remit of Business Secretary Vince Cable, of the Liberal Democrats.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Theresa May has given the go-ahead for work to create elected police commissioners.

Cleveland Police Authority chairman Councillor Dave McLuckie branded the idea as “utterly horrendous”.