Local authorities across Tyne and Wear have a strong history of working together in partnership, and there is clearly an opportunity for closer joint working to add value to our economy and communities.

In challenging economic conditions, this kind of collaboration is more important than ever.

By coming together with the private sector through Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), we can add value through coordination, potentially securing additional powers to pursue our priorities together. There is much we can learn from the success of 10 Greater Manchester authorities working together to drive economic growth and job creation through their ‘City Deal’.

In South Tyneside, our highly skilled workforce, strong supply chain and excellent transport links, including the Port of Tyne international logistics gateway, mean the borough is ideally placed to develop as the region’s hub for advanced engineering and manufacturing, while neighbouring areas build on their own strengths, like biotechnology in Newcastle and the automotive sector in Sunderland.