The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the Tees Valley Combined Authority met on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. Key discussions included an update on organisational improvement and the approach to continuous improvement, the review of the council's constitution, and the development of the work programme for the upcoming year. The committee also received a report on delegated decisions.

Organisational Improvement Update

Mayor Chris Cooke, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Organisational Improvement and Business Growth, provided an update on the Tees Valley Combined Authority's (TVCA) Organisational Improvement Plan. This plan was developed in response to a Non-Statutory Best Value Notice and recommendations from an external auditor in April 2025. Significant progress has been made in strengthening governance, resource management, partnerships, culture, and continuous improvement. The TVCA is transitioning to a continuous development strategy to ensure ongoing organisational excellence and readiness for devolution. This strategy aligns with government guidance on Best Value Duty and standards, and has developed strategic improvement themes tailored to the Tees Valley's context and priorities.

Councillor Hildenby raised concerns about the financial arrangements for loans to the STDC and the airport, questioning the justification for the scale of these loans given the perceived lack of return and the financial difficulties of the airport. He also questioned why scrutiny had not been more involved in the past, suggesting this had led to current financial issues. Mayor Cooke acknowledged that loan processes had been problematic and stated his focus was on establishing robust policies for the future. He indicated that the airport situation was being reviewed separately and that restructuring was being considered. Regarding scrutiny, he agreed that it should have been more integrated and that Cabinet members needed to be better empowered.

Councillor Paulson raised concerns about past mistakes at Teesworks, specifically regarding the allocation of land to businessmen and families. He questioned how much investment these individuals and families had made into the site and when they would start contributing to the community. Mayor Cooke stated he would take this question back to Cabinet. He also referred to the airport loans, noting that they were lent onward to an entity with no assets, making debt recovery difficult. He encouraged the STDC to review its dividend policies.

Councillor Beale questioned whether extending the role of overview and scrutiny to cover development corporations would improve the organisation. Connor Malone, Governance and Scrutiny Officer, informed the committee about upcoming legislation that would reintroduce local scrutiny committees and that workshops would be held to discuss these changes. Mayor Cooke added that the mechanism for selecting TVCA's airport board representatives was unclear and that a review of development corporations was underway to ensure consistent frameworks and scrutiny.

Councillor Davies asked if the Local Government Association (LGA) was working with the TVCA on its improvement plan and, if not, why not. He also questioned how accountability would be maintained if Mayor Cooke were no longer in post. Mayor Cooke confirmed the LGA's involvement and explained his approach to demonstrating progress to the government regarding the Best Value Notice. He emphasised the importance of establishing clear processes and empowering portfolio holders to ensure continuity.

Councillor Languil questioned whether a directly elected combined authority would be more effective than the current cabinet system. Mayor Cooke responded that while systems like Manchester's had worked, the TVCA had not operated in the same way. He highlighted the importance of local authorities feeling part of the organisation and suggested a move towards thematic clusters rather than solely portfolio-based responsibilities.

Scrutiny Annual Report

The committee considered the draft Annual Report for 2025/26, prepared by Connor Malone, Statutory Scrutiny Officer. The report detailed the committee's activities, including its role in supporting TVCA's organisational improvement plan, strengthening its work programme, and scrutinising transport, education, employment, and skills. It also highlighted the committee's efforts in holding the Mayor and Cabinet to account and improving governance. The committee was asked to approve the report for submission to Cabinet. Councillor Hall noted that the Education, Employment and Skills Working Group had recommended more task and finish work, and that this should be updated.

Governance Review and Revised Constitution

Andrew Perriman, Director of Legal & Governance and Monitoring Officer, presented the proposed constitutional amendments. The review aimed to ensure compliance with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 and to reflect new local decision-making arrangements. The proposed revisions included a more standardised format, modernised language, and clarifications on the application of governance arrangements. Specific attention was given to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee's Terms of Reference, Access to Information Procedure Rules, and Overview & Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules. A new Petitions Policy was also introduced. Workshops were planned for September and October to allow committee members to provide feedback and propose amendments before the revised constitution was presented to Cabinet in November 2026. Councillor Leighton-Gayle questioned the clarity of the process for the Audit Commissioners' views on the constitution. Councillor Jimmy Beall suggested that end-users should be consulted on any new IT systems procured for managing documents. Councillor William suggested that if documents could not be accessed, votes should be opposed.

Work Programming

Connor Malone presented the draft work programme for 2026/27 and the meeting schedules for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Potential scrutiny topics for 2026/27 included the implementation of new planning and housing powers, TVCA's plans for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs), fiscal devolution, the continuous improvement strategy, arrangements for local scrutiny committees, draft budget scrutiny, and an annual self-assessment and skills audit. Councillor Davies expressed a desire to scrutinise transport funding, specifically the allocation and spending of the billion-pound budget. Sarah Brackenborough, Director of Operations, suggested inviting the portfolio holder for Transport and Infrastructure to a future meeting. Councillor Hall highlighted concerns about the high number of NEETs in Stockton and proposed a task and finish group to address this. Councillor Languil suggested fiscal devolution as a key topic, linking it to education and employment. Councillor Lynn Pallister also raised concerns about the amount of funding received for the Tees Valley compared to other regions for schemes like Trailblazer. The committee agreed to focus on fiscal devolution and education, employment, and skills as two key topics for the upcoming year.

Delegated Decisions

The committee received a report summarising delegated decisions made between 1 April 2026 and 1 September 2026. These decisions, which were not classified as key decisions, related to various projects including infrastructure improvements on Woodland Road in Darlington, the Brownfield Housing Fund for Princeton Gardens, funding for NOF Energy Ltd, the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers programme, the Darlington Station project, active travel hubs, the Further Education Teacher Industry Exchange Scheme, and the Teesworks Steel House Park & Ride and Multi-Modal Transport Hub projects. Councillor Gwyn questioned who was making these decisions, as it was not clearly stated in the report. It was clarified that these were primarily officer-based decisions, with some stemming from Cabinet delegations. The committee discussed the need for greater clarity on the roles of the Mayor, Cabinet members, and officers in the decision-making process. It was agreed that a column could be added to future reports to clarify the decision-maker or link back to the original Cabinet provision. The committee also discussed the distinction between delegated and urgent decisions, with it being confirmed that no urgent decisions had been made during the period covered by the report.

The meeting also included a minute's silence for police officers who had died on duty. Apologies for absence were noted, and the minutes of the previous meeting were approved with a minor amendment. The committee also confirmed the reappointment of Councillor Ian Blades as Chair and Councillor Ian Haszeldine as Vice-Chair for the 2026/27 municipal year.