Tees Valley Mayor receives government approval of £59m transport funding scheme

Transport secretary, Chris Grayling has written to Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen confirming a £59m transport fund that is being devolved to the region.

The details of the money, ring fenced for Tees Valley, came as it was announced today (March 14) during the Chancellor’s Spring Statement (March 13) that local authorities in other cities, such as Newcastle and Leeds, have been invited to bid for a piece of the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

England’s six Metro Mayors have been awarded half of a £1.2bn national pot to deliver transport schemes in their region.

Tees Valley’s allocation, to be delivered over the next four years, is based on an equal division per head of population. The other half is open to the rest of the country through a competitive process.

Mr Houchen said: “In the Budget last year, the Tees Valley was awarded £59m to transform local public transport. Over the coming weeks I will be setting out our priorities for how this will be spent over the next four years.

“Other towns and cities are being told to bid for cash, but because we have a Metro Mayor, the Tees Valley will be getting a guaranteed pay-out for a much-needed overhaul to our public transport infrastructure.

“The situation for Tees Valley commuters is in no way ideal and this funding will help us drive real change. I want everyone travelling in and around the area to see considerable improvements.”

The Tees Valley Combined Authority has been working alongside bus and rail operators in the area since November 2017, and the Mayor will soon set out the wider transport priorities for the region.

Mr Houchen added: “We are getting ever-closer to delivering our vision for the future of transport in the area. These will be transformative for the region and I will be making some massive announcements in the coming months.”

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