‘We can handle the big bucks’

Q What was your reaction to the Adonis review?

A “I think it is impressive. It would be churlish to say there are not some interesting things in it.

“At the moment it is an independent report that the Lep and local authorities up there have now to decide what bits of it they are going to accept and take forward.

We have great interest in seeing what they plan to do next.

Already we have had discussions with each other. There is a meeting this month. We meet formally every two to three months at senior level to discuss areas of common interest.”

Recycling aircraft at Sycamore Aviation, which is based at Durham Tees Valley Airport

Q What specific things can we expect to see you working on with the North East LEP?

A “Transport issues, particularly the plans for the devolved rail network. That is an area where we must work in partnership. This is very important for both sides.

“We will also talk about how we address access to finance for small business in our areas which is another big issue.

This gives the lie to the suggestion that we don’t talk or co-operate when it makes sense for us to do so.

“We are also about to have our first formal meeting with the York and North Yorkshire Lep and we intend to meet every three to four months.

Among the issues being discussed is how the development of rural broadband can benefit parts of both regions.”

Q So there is no ill feeling between yourselves and NELEP?

A “None whatsoever.”

Q Last year, this region submitted four rival bids to host the Green Investment Bank which ended up going to Edinburgh and London. Wouldn’t it have more sense for TVU and NELEP to set aside their rivalry and join forces under a single North-East bid?

A “Possibly. Four bids from one area isn’t smart but that might have had no bearing on the decision the government came to. It is something we may need to consider if we are bidding for something like that in the future, such as the location of the new Business Bank.

It depends upon the government’s selection criteria.”

Q Is the Tees Valley better served under the Lep structure than is was as part of One North East?

A “I am not going to run them down. They did a lot of good work but in simple investment terms and in promoting the area I think we have done very well for the Tees Valley.

“I wasn’t here under One North East but if you look at the last the years figures for inward investment Tees Valley has done a lot better.

“I am optimistic about the future for this area. The deep sea industry has a very strong Darlington base. Our enterprise zone is one of the most successful in the country if not the most successful. Lotte and Air Products are building on our sites. We heard recently about the new £200m arrangement by Sita with Sembcorp.

Add all that up and it comes to around £1bn worth of investment.

By anyone’s measure that is success.

“In addition, we have seen investment in Teesport and the restart of steelmaking too. There has even been some new firms setting up at (Durham Tees Valley) Airport, which will hopefully help them offset the losses they incur.”

Q Could Tees Valley Unlimited handle the kind of spending powers Lord Heseltine has proposed?

A “We have shown through our Regional Growth Fund bids that we can handle tens of millions. Even £100m plus would not be too big for us. Could we handle a spending pot of billions? We’d like to have a go but there is a scale issue there.

“As part of his comments Vince Cable also noted the successful record Tees Valley has to deliver things locally.

“When the Heseltine review came out we welcomed the general thrust of it particularly the thing about giving regions a single pot of money.

We think that is essential and we have asked for it as part of our City Deal.

Heseltine talked about ‘x’ billions of pounds being handed to Leps, but to be perfectly honest we never expected to be given billions of pounds to handle. We will have to see but I suspect there will be a much smaller amount announced in June.

“If it turns out as Vince Cable has suggested that the government won’t go down that route at all then we will be extremely disappointed.

Perhaps what he said this week was more about damping down the scale of expectation that the Heseltine review started.

“Leps are different from one another. Some, such as ours, have the capacity and track record to handle sizeable budgets and other are struggling to build that capability. If the Government want Leps to deliver these things then they must address the issues of capacity.”

Q How do you answer Vince Cable’s comment that you lack accountability to the public?

A “We have a track record of five local authorities working together. Five leaders and mayors who are genuine representatives of elected authorities and sit and work with us. It’s not as if our decision are made in the face of the elected representatives in this area. They are the very people on our board. And we have the add-on of private sector expertise as well. We have very strict declarations of interest for our members.

Different Leps are at different stages of evolution. We are further developed than most.”

“We have an accountable body which is Stockton Borough Council.

They ensure that the money we spend is done correctly. Perhaps other Leps aren’t operating in that way. We are accountable to all the partners we work with. “The larger the sums we are given the greater the need for transparency and accountability.

I am very satisfied about the way we work.”