Labour councillors have said they fear Durham County Council will end up "feeding on scraps" by joining a devolution deal.
In October the local authority's coalition confirmed it wanted to be part of a multi-billion pound devolution deal to establish a new North East mayor.
If approved, the deal would see a new mayor elected in May 2024 to govern a huge combined authority stretching across seven council areas through Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside, and County Durham.
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But the decision has been vehemently opposed by opposition councillors at Durham County Council, with Labour members backing a county-devolution deal rather than for County Durham to throw-in with six other Tyne and Wear and Northumberland councils in a super-authority.
Now a public debate will be held on Wednesday 7 December. County Durham Labour Leader, Cllr Carl Marshall, said: “We are battling hard to ensure County Durham receives the best possible devolution outcome – a county-wide deal that enables us to be masters of our own destiny.
“Securing this public debate is the first step in overturning the regressive decision of the Tory-led Coalition to make County Durham a small part of the Tyne & Wear and Northumberland super-authority, which would mean investment decisions in our county are overseen by a mayor on Tyneside or in Northumberland.
“It would also see us miss out on £147m transport funding, which has already been divvied up by the six other authorities, who have been working on their devolution deal for well over a year.
“I would urge anyone with an interest in the future success and prosperity of County Durham, to attend this debate and let this shambolic Coalition know that the time has come for them to finally put County Durham First.”
The new £3bn devolution settlement could grant the North East the “full suite of powers” already available to mayors in other parts of England that boast more substantial devolution deals than the North of Tyne.
That would include the ability to bring bus services back into public control and set their ticket fares at cheaper levels, a £900m transport funding package up to 2027, a yearly £44m budget for adult education and skills, and “major steps” towards the North East reaching net zero emissions.
The mayor’s role could also be merged with that of the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner – though this will not happen if Durham is involved, as the two jobs would no longer cover the same geographic areas.
A previous devolution deal that would have covered all seven of the North East council areas broke down in 2016 amid political rows between the region’s Labour-run councils.
Labour Deputy Leader, Coun Rob Crute, said the county could end up "feeding on scraps" due to much of the investment already being divided up by the other six authorities.
He added: "The Coalition’s favoured deal does nothing to address over a decade of Government austerity and because they’ve not been at the negotiating table for the last year, County Durham would end up feeding on scraps as much of the investment has already been divided up and agreed by the other six authorities.
“As with everything they do, the Coalition has been painfully slow to decide on a preferred deal, equally slow to the negotiating table and incredibly weak in championing our county.
"They are willing to give up the opportunity a county wide deal offers to become a small part of a massive authority covering everything from Berwick to Barnard Castle.
“This debate is vital for the future of County Durham and it’s time for our residents’ voices to be heard.”
On behalf of the Joint Administration of Durham County Council, Cllr Amanda Hopgood comments: “Once again, Cllr Marshall appears to be unable or unwilling to understand and interpret the information that is available to him. This is becoming a familiar pattern and should be of great concern to County Durham residents.
“Since the Joint Administration took control of Durham County Council, on every major decision and issue Cllr Marshall has been offered a full briefing with all of the facts that he could share with his group. Not once has he taken that opportunity, but instead he has made misleading public statements to score political points, and he’s been wrong time and again. Cllr Marshall claimed that the building at The Sands would be sold for a huge loss – it generated a big surplus. Had he read and taken on board the report by officers, he would have known that this was the case, but that didn’t fit his narrative. This pattern has been repeated many times and here we go again.
“Serious questions need to be asked of Cllr Marshall - his track record in opposition is embarrassing. He seems to be letting his own group’s councillors down by not sharing information with them, or simply trying to grandstand publicly for political gain, and his approach is consistently failing residents in County Durham.
“Of the potential devolution options that were on the table, the Joint Administration has chosen the route that is clearly in the best interests of residents in County Durham, and indeed the wider region. A regional approach is also preferred by the business community and allows existing cross border arrangements for areas such as transport to be consolidated into a regional deal. An LA7 deal will lead to the highest level of investment and flexibility on how it is used, and an opportunity to create a louder and more influential collective voice for our county, our region and all of our residents. Those are the facts and I hope that councillors across the chamber will recognise them during the debate on 7 December.”
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