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Break it up
Northern mayors think Visit Britain is too London-centric and want to see the agency broken up with funding and functions devolved to the regions.
The Great Run, a mayoral led collaboration established by northern leaders to elevate the voice, visibility and economic impact of the North, met in Gateshead to coincide with the Great North Run.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness, who chairs The Great Run, said: “One thing we're all hyper-aware of is we've really got to change the way that Britain is promoted abroad from red phone boxes and Paddington Bear and cream tea and really start to tell the story of Britain in a more joined up way.
“We’re hyper-conscious that VisitBritain has got a very London-centric approach to tourism, and that's reflected in the numbers, where they're the only ones seeing an increase and everybody else is seeing a decrease, and it's not good enough.
“From my point of view, they might as well rename VisitBritain 'Visit London'. And what they actually need to do is break it up and devolve it, because it isn't serving the whole of the country. It certainly isn't serving the North. We want to change that.”
In March, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) agreed in principle to create a strategic regional tourism function, building on the existing Destination North East England pilot that NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) has been running since 2022.
The NECA Investment Fund has earmarked £1.56m to support NGI’s operational transition during 2025-26.
Transparency call
A cross-party group of councillors who sit on Newcastle City Council’s audit and standards committee has demanded transparency over the outcome of a bullying complaint made against former leader Nick Kemp.
A law firm’s investigation into the accusations, made by ex-council director Michelle Percy has ended and their report has been sent to local authority officials.
However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that councillors have concerns that the full, detailed conclusions could be withheld from them and the wider public.
AI not H2
The Government will put its full weight behind Teesworks and Teesside International Airport becoming an AI growth zone, effectively closing the door on the construction of a major hydrogen project on the site of the former Redcar Steelworks.
I reported last week (Eyes & Ears 05.09.25) that there was a Cabinet row over which development would get Government approval - with Energy Minister Ed Miliband losing out, according to correspondence seen by The Telegraph.
The H2Teesside plan, proposed by BP, would have produced so-called ‘blue’ hydrogen that could have provided up to 10% of the supply Miliband says the UK will need by 2030.
It has apparently lost out to proposals for Europe’s largest data centre which is backed by site owners Teesworks Ltd, a public-private partnership, and supported by Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen.
A letter to Lord Houchen from Business Secretary Peter Kyle confirmed that the Government is planning to designate the Teesworks site as an AI growth zone, a central plank of the Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to make Britain an artificial intelligence hub.
The letter is due to be published by the Planning Inspectorate on Friday as part of a review of the hydrogen project. Last month Mr Miliband delayed a decision on it until the end of October “to allow time to request further information”.
The data centre and hydrogen plant projects are on overlapping plots of land and planning documents have stated that they are incompatible.
Justice scheme dropped
An ‘immediate justice’ scheme introduced by former prime minister Rishi Sunak in 2023 to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and shop thefts was a disaster, according to Durham Constabulary, one of 10 forces selected to pilot the initiative.
Superintendent Neal Bickford told a Durham County Council scrutiny meeting: “It was one of the worst policy ideas I have ever seen. I don’t think it was a disaster because of the ambition; repaying the community is not necessarily a bad thing, but where it failed miserably was that there was no mechanism to report any of this.
“All 10 pilot forces reported the same thing, and it hasn’t raised its head since.,”
Offenders given community orders started reparation work within 48 hours of being handed punishments, including wearing high-vis vests and litter picking.
Big black hole
Durham’s Reform-controlled county council is facing a £71m black hole by the end of the decade - with just five months to decide how to fill it.
Experienced journalist Peter Morris says the party, which took control of the council in May and pledged to cut waste and keep council tax as low as possible, will have to set out its Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) by January and fix the level of council tax for 2026-27 by February.
Writing in North East Bylines, Morris said: “The new council faces tough choices on the balance between tax increase, cuts in services and the use of its limited reserves.”
In a report to next week’s Cabinet meeting, Paul Darby, corporate director of resources, and Councillor Darren Grimes, the council’s deputy leader and finance lead, say: “The council’s medium term financial position remains challenging and, at this stage, uncertain.”
Morris said: “Reform UK is not responsible for the budget position it finds itself in today, but it will be accountable for the tough decisions it will have to make between now and February.
“Reform is about to find out that running a big council with a budget of over £600m, severe pressure on services like social care, which must by statute be provided, and strictly limited resources, is not easy.”
How it copes may be “distressing for some Durham residents,” he said.
More ‘no news’
Given Durham County Council’s financial position, it’s perhaps no surprise that ‘nothing continues to happen’ with the landmark regeneration scheme at Milburngate.
More than three years after its intended 2022 opening, the project has yet to provide the promised transformation of Durham city centre.
The previous council administration agreed to enter negotiations to acquire the site. The new Reform council are reviewing the position and Paul Darby, the council’s corporate director of resources, told The Northern Echo: “Officers have held discussions with the funder of the Milburngate project. These discussions are continuing and will determine whether the council will be involved going forward.”
In April last year, former BBC Inside Out presenter Chris Jackson took a detailed look at the impasse for The QT. It doesn’t look like we are any further forward.
Growing places
Durham-based business support group UMi is expanding and recruiting for staff around the country as it launches a series of new business support and advice services.
Nicki Clark, chief executive of the employee-owned B Corp, said: “We are pleased to be hiring across our business as we continue to increase our UK footprint. As the need for tailored funding solutions and digital technology adoption rises among businesses, we look forward to leveraging our expertise to make a real difference in this sector.”
Flying colours
Flags are such a contentious issue right now - but not in Berwick. The Borders town is ushering in autumn in colourful fashion as 20 vibrant new flags fly across the town, celebrating women’s overlooked contributions to local history.
The striking artworks are part of Berwick Shines, a programme from The Maltings Trust’s Living Barracks project, which launched on Thursday.
Artist Beth J Ross led the residency, working with a group of local women to research stories from Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth. Their findings inspired geometric, symbolic flag designs that now line civic buildings, private gardens and public spaces until October 13.
Teeslink go-ahead
Rula Developments has secured approval to deliver the 775,000 sq ft Teeslink site near Eaglescliffe, a site which could support up to 1,000 jobs in a range of industrial units. Council leader Lisa Evans said: “Teeslink is yet another demonstration of Stockton-on-Tees being the economic powerhouse of the Tees Valley.”
It’s not over
Peter Mandelson has always been weapons-grade Marmite, says Dr Martin Farr, senior lecturer in contemporary British history at Newcastle University.
It was a reflection of post-Brexit British weakness, rather than strength – the desperate need for a trade deal – that Starmer turned to him.
Writing in The Conversation, Dr Farr said Mandelson’s departure will not end the matter for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“In the week after the prime minister, despite his efforts, lost his deputy, and the week before the American president arrives in the UK for an unprecedented – and unpopular – second state visit, Keir Starmer, despite his efforts, has lost the person he controversially personally appointed to the UK’s highest diplomatic post.
“Worse, over a matter that also happens to implicate Donald Trump – a matter journalists could conceivably raise at the president’s and prime minister’s press conference during the forthcoming state visit.”