The North East Devolution Deal signed yesterday will make available an additional £100m in funding to give the combined authority ‘the tools to drive economic growth’.

Included in the £100m, funding which Jeremy Hunt announced in his Spring Budget statement, is £37m of flexible funding for the remediation of brownfield sites and acceleration of regional projects.

Powers over housing, transport and skills will be devolved to the incoming mayor of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) and the cabinet, following the first mayoral election on 2 May 2024.