The Tees Valley Combined Authority has nearly completed all recommendations from the Tees Valley Review, showcasing significant progress in governance.
Teesside: The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is making strides. They’ve almost wrapped up the work from the Tees Valley Review recommendations. It’s been nearly a year since the report came out.
This review was commissioned by Michael Gove in 2023. It looked into the Teesworks joint venture. The good news? No corruption was found. But it did point out some issues with how public funds were managed.
Published in January 2024, the review had 28 recommendations. Out of those, 26 were for TVCA to tackle. They’ve now shared an “action tracker” showing their progress.
At a recent meeting, they revealed that 25 of the 26 recommendations are complete. Only one is partially done. The two recommendations for the Government are still pending, and TVCA is waiting for a response.
There are also two recommendations where local authorities need to step in. These involve keeping local councils informed and engaged with TVCA and the South Tees Development Corporation.
The partially complete recommendation is about conflict of interest training for officers and members. Training for officers happened on January 17, and members will get theirs in early February.
Emma Simson, the TVCA Group Chief Legal Officer, emphasized that it’s not just about completing the recommendations. They need to show that they’re actively working on them.
Committee chair Mandy Porter expressed her satisfaction with the progress. She feels reassured that many recommendations have been acted upon.
When asked about the response to the recommendations, Mayor Ben Houchen praised the thorough work done. He noted that local authorities also support this response.
At another meeting, Houchen highlighted the hard work of TVCA officers. He believes this effort will lead to improvements and elevate their work.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was asked for updates on the Government’s recommendations. They acknowledged the mayor’s response and promised to reply soon.
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