Three policy priorities for the North of Tyne metro mayor

This briefing sets out what the incoming North of Tyne metro mayor needs to prioritise in order to bring about tangible improvements to the region

Briefing published on 10 April 2019 by Simon Jeffrey

The first metro mayor of North of Tyne will need a vision for the area and a set of clear, strategic policies to deliver it. Expectations will be high and the challenge and workload will be considerable. Mayoral powers range from delivering policy to establishing the institutions and capacity for effective city-region governance. This briefing offers three priorities for the incoming mayor to address the challenges of North of Tyne.

Priority 1: A quick win

Support the city centre

  • Invest in improving commercial space in the city centre to help attract more high-knowledge businesses to the area
  • Bring forward new city centre commercial space, building on existing schemes
  • Create a joint spatial plan that sets out how land-use planning and new infrastructure can best support the North East economy

Priority 2: A long-term priority

Improve skills and education

  • Coordinate action across local stakeholders to improve school performance and lifelong learning through a Skills Compact
  • Evaluate the outcomes of policies to refine future policy approaches to make them more effective.

Priority 3: Strategic decision

Work strategically across the wider North East area

  • Work with leaders across the region to align where new housing or commercial space is developed
  • Open up skills programmes to all local authorities and institutions in the region

The North of Tyne metro mayor should ensure that economic policy is made with the geography of people’s day-to-day lives in mind

Conclusion

The challenges facing the North of Tyne metro mayor are clear and will not be overcome within a five-year term or even 20 years. But tangible improvements can be made if the first ever mayor works to tackle those challenges squarely and effectively, to support the development of the local economy.

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