Green for go
No doubt that the biggest news of the week - and many a week - is the North East sharing a £15.6bn package for transport investments announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen will get £1bn, most of which will go towards a third platform at Middlesborough station, improvements to the A66 and A689 and £20m for town centre trams.
There was £1.8bn for North East mayor Kim McGuinness, which will mean that the Metro will be extended to Washington - and that £6m will be allocated to ensure that the restoration of the Tyne Bridge is completed by the time of its centenary in October 2028.
Potentially the most significant thing the Chancellor said was that changes were being made to the Green Book - the UK Treasury’s official guidance on how government investment decisions are made.
“This is a pivotal development for regional authorities and investment planners,” said The Global Treasurer. “The existing rules, some argue, have historically favoured projects in London and the South East due to their higher initial economic output metrics, potentially overlooking broader productivity gains and ‘levelling up’ potential elsewhere.
“By recalibrating these rules, the government aims to give ‘every region a fair hearing when it comes to investments’.”
Indeed. Now we have to wait until the Chancellor’s comprehensive spending review on Wednesday to see if the rewriting of the Green Book will bring some benefits soon or if this week’s transport funding announcements were the sugar cubes before the medicine.
Gold in them thar hills
The search for lithium has been likened to a 21st century gold rush - and it’s under our feet (if you live in County Durham).
Lithium is the backbone of rechargeable batteries, powering everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. Demand has tripled since 2017 and is expected to grow tenfold by 2050, leading to concerns about supply shortages.
Northern Lithium said tests on a farm in Weardale showed there were “commercially viable” amounts in the area and that they plan to build a commercial-scale extraction plant by 2027.
This comes after Weardale Lithium was granted planning permission by Durham County Council in January for its own work nearby.
More, please
Big headlines, and much praise, this week for the extension of the free school meals programme which will benefit half a million children - 50,000 in the North East Combined Authority area and 25,000 in Tees Valley.
The small type, however, says the changes will take effect from September 2026 - that’s 15 months away and not helping the child poverty statistics in the meantime.
Support needed
The lack of suitable childcare options is inflicting huge financial and emotional strain on some of the country’s most vulnerable families, according to research published by Health Equity North yesterday.
Led by academics from Newcastle and Manchester universities, the researchers interviewed parents and carers across the North East, who talked about the sacrifices needed to make ends meet - and the loneliness, isolation and anxiety they felt when they didn’t receive adequate childcare support.
The report, Childcare Should Not Be A Luxury, has been backed by North East mayor Kim McGuinness as she prepares to publish the country’s first Child Poverty Action Plan next month.
Later, Danny
Tyneside Cinema is to host a gala screening of 28 Years Later, the latest chapter in the acclaimed dystopian series which was filmed all over the North East.
The screening on June 19, the day before the film’s national release, will be attended by the film’s Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle and Newcastle-native actor Alfie Williams who makes his feature film debut.
The event promises to recognise and celebrate the region’s starring role in the much-anticipated film and will see crew, extras, and location providers from the North East on the red carpet.
Do I hear £20m?
Jeff Winn, the founder of accident claims specialist Winn Group, who last week announced he was stepping down from his role as executive chairman, has put his home up for sale with a £20m guide price.
He bought Jesmond Towers, the former La Sagesse private school, for £3.6m from Freddie Shepherd in 2013 with the former Newcastle United chairman selling the remainder of the school site to David Wilson Homes.
The businessman has since spent £14m on the four-storey property which has more than 50 rooms and comes with two lodges and six acres of grounds and gardens. It is being marketed by Sanderson Young and you can see their brochure here.
Water bill
Northumbrian Water has agreed to pay £15.7m after failures in the maintenance and operations of its sewage and water network led to excessive spills from storm overflows.
Water sector regulator Ofwat said the enforcement package agreed with the company meant the money would be spent on local improvements rather than being directed to the Treasury's consolidated fund.
Northumbrian Water chief executive Heidi Mottram said: “This investment, which will come entirely from shareholders and will not be paid for by customers' bills, will enhance our ongoing efforts to support local communities and protect and improve the natural environment here in the North East.”
Terry’s all gold
County Durham builder Terry Gillings won £1 million on the National Lottery and didn’t care if the whole world knew as he celebrated with his wife Caroline in front of the photographers and TV cameras.
His dad, who had prostate cancer and Parkinson’s, sadly died two days later but Terry felt that his father’s passing was more peaceful because he knew his son and four grand-daughters were “set up for life”.
“It could be you” we were told all those years ago - and we make a big thing about ordinary people like Terry hitting the jackpot.
Also this week, The Athletic informed us that a Manchester United footballer turned down the chance to play in Saudi Arabia for an annual wage of £29.5m - or £565,000 a week. A week.
I don’t know if Terry is a football fan, but people like him pay a small fortune for season tickets and TV subscriptions, creating an economic environment where football agents on a big fat percentage fee can demand ever-increasing salaries for their clients from football clubs…
Salaries that the man in the street could only dream of - even if they were a Lottery winner that was “set up for life”.
Case closed
The North East Culture Partnership (NECP) is to be wound up on July 1. A forum for those working in the arts and heritage, and a driver of best practice, it was established in 2013 by the Association of North East Councils.
Their Case for Culture was cited as a model of best practice in a Government white paper on culture. It was refreshed in 2022 in the wake of the pandemic and in the light of numerous new challenges.
But changes in the political landscape meant the writing was on the wall for NECP. The authoritative David Whetstone has penned a brilliant piece for Cultured. North East on what it means - and what next.
A quick word
Durham’s Labour MP Mary Foy has referred herself to Parliament's standards watchdog after lobbying on behalf of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) which was being run by her partner. The North East emerged with one gold medal in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence - Ad Gefrin taking top spot in the New Tourism Business of the Year category. England football star Lucy Bronze has been awarded the Freedom of Northumberland. Northern Kin has become the latest North East music festival to be cancelled after Wannasee Ltd ceased trading. Organisers of the Lindisfarne Festival took to social media to say they were still hopeful of going ahead at the end of August. Northumbria University’s Dr Stephanie Fohring is to lead an international team of researchers who have been awarded over £1 million in funding to explore the extent of digital violence against women. Darlington Borough Council wants to clamp down on the anti-social use of bicycles, scooters, skates and skateboards in the town centre - and stop people feeding pigeons. An investigation into claims of bullying, assault and unlawful use of public funds on Romaldkirk Parish Council cost Durham County Council nearly £63,000. Darlington’s Labour MP Lola McEvoy has been criticised by former MP Peter Gibson for taking the credit for work to clean up the site when it was started by local Tories and Stockton West MP Matt Vickers.
Credit facility
The North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace, which allows businesses to buy carbon credits or back environmental initiatives, has been launched by North East mayor Kim McGuinness - the UK’s first carbon and nature investment platform led by a combined authority.
At launch, 10,000 carbon credits are available, alongside over £11 million of investible project opportunities.
Raining monarch
It poured down as hundreds of people turned out in Hexham yesterday to welcome Queen Camilla. She carried out a number of engagements including a visit to Hexham market and a visit to the racecourse to officially open the Queen Camilla stand.
Engaging fellow
A man who lost his brother to suicide has raised £60,000 for the RNLI and the mental health charity If U Care Share by running a marathon a day for 128 days.
Leodhais Macpherson from Tynemouth wanted to cover the distance between North Shields and New York, where his older brother Conor had wanted to live. Leodhais completed the challenge on Monday, the day Conor would have turned 28. He then proposed to girlfriend Jaimie Walker on the finishing line.
She said yes.
Family affair
Samuel Smith started selling tea from a horse and cart 118 years ago this month. Today, Ringtons is still his family’s business with the fifth generation now in charge.
Nigel Smith has recently stepped down as chairman after more than 50 years, and the board now includes the new chair, Nigel’s daughter Julia Thompson, and directors Brigitte Keatings, Elliot Smith, Tom Smith and Nadia Johnson.
Julia puts the successful transition down to the long term view of her father and his two brothers, and she told BusinessLive that work is already starting with the sixth generation.
World first
Teesside-based recycling firm Scott Bros has introduced a world-first wash plant that operates entirely using recycled water. This follows the announcement that the company was working on low-carbon concrete production, using a clay by-product from its wash process to replace traditional cement.
Director Bob Borthwick said: “This is what the circular economy should look like - local businesses creating practical, scalable solutions that deliver environmental, economic and social benefits. We’re proud to be leading the way from Teesside.”
Earth moves
A giant Earth is to hang from the arches of Hexham Abbey this autumn. Gaia is a six-metre revolving sculpture which lets people see our planet as it looks from space.
It will be the second piece of artwork by Luke Jerram to be displayed at the abbey. His installation Museum of the Moon attracted 30,000 visitors in October 2023.
Business bites
Newcastle-based law firm Ward Hadaway, which recently announced record results, has opened an office in Birmingham. The American owners of Union Electric Steel have confirmed that the former Davy Roll factory in Gateshead will close in spring next year with the loss of 170 jobs. BEL Valves has secured a £5 million order to supply critical valve technology for the Murlach oil field development in the North Sea. Filtronic has secured an £800,000 contract with defence contractor Leonardo to supply high-performance modules for an airborne radar application. Micro and small businesses in Northumberland are being encouraged to tap into the county’s £1.1 million growth pot which supports projects focused on “long-term growth, improved productivity and market diversification”. The first set of results from Banks Group since selling its renewables division have shown an increase in turnover and profit in a year of substantial investment. Gateshead-based electric waste disposal and recycling firm GAP Group North East has opened a fridge processing base near Perth. Nationwide said Virgin Money had performed well in the six months since the acquisition and that they have spent £700m on the business and created 370 jobs in Gosforth and Glasgow. North Shields-based wholesaler Kitwave has appointed Dr Marnie Millard, a former chief executive at soft drinks group Nichols, as its new chair. Marine insurer NorthStandard, whose offices boast the finest views of the Newcastle quayside, has reported a “robust” performance, despite a turbulent year in the sector.
2003 ad break
It is regarded as one of the most ground-breaking and influential commercials of the 2000s, took seven months to produce and had a budget of £1 million - but it was time and money well spent so far as Honda were concerned.
Cog promoted their launch of the seventh-generation of Accords by using a chain of colliding parts taken from a disassembled car. The 120-second final cut was first broadcast in Britain on April 6 2003 during a commercial break in ITV’s coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
It received more awards than any commercial in history. The jury for the British Television Advertising Awards gave the piece the highest score ever recorded with the chairman saying: “This is the best commercial that I have seen for at least 10 years.”
The interest generated by the advert was massive and Cog has been credited with increasing Honda's revenues by nearly £400 million.
THE WIDER VIEW
The X files
I would have preferred to watch cartoons, but didn’t have the choice. If I had, then I wouldn’t know as much today about what you can do with some sticky-backed plastic and the inside of toilet rolls.
Sea what I see
Leading investigative journalist Ian Urbina has warned that the fight against the climate crisis will be lost if we ignore the oceans.
Roughly a quarter of the carbon dioxide let off into the air is absorbed by them. The past century of whaling equates to the burning of 70 million acres of forest. Due to chemical run-off there are ‘dead zones’ – areas with so little oxygen that most marine life cannot survive – as big as Scotland.
Writing in The Observer, Ian warns: “As the lungs of the globe, the oceans produce and filter half of the oxygen we breathe. But our ‘smoking habit’ has caught up with us and those lungs are failing.”
Growing issue
In February, JD Vance used his notorious Munich Security Conference speech to denounce the UK and Scottish governments for restricting protests outside abortion clinics.
Two months later the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor - created in the 1970s to “advance democracy around the world” - rebuked the UK after a judge found a campaigner guilty of breaching a buffer zone outside a Bournemouth clinic.
Now, an investigation by Democracy for Sale shows that American anti‑abortion activists are backing up their rhetoric with major donations in the UK, bringing warnings about the “obvious danger” of “importing America's toxic far right politics” into Britain.
Tory peer Toby Young’s Free Speech Union (FSU) has received $97,930 from a charity run by US anti-abortion lawyer Zachary Kester. He is general counsel to Students for Life, a campus group whose mission is to “recruit, train and mobilise the pro‑life generation to abolish abortion.”
Great as usual Brian - thank you!
Great as usual Brian - thank you!