The Tyne and Wear City Region is one of seven sub-regions in England that will seal their commitment to boost economic prosperity and inclusion, in recognition they can each achieve more than the sum of their parts - in the first set of Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) signed today.
The area has stepped forward to develop its own bespoke MAA to boost employment, skills and training as well as transport connections.
In a contract with Government, the area will get more freedoms from Whitehall in return for pledging a local, partnership approach to boost economic growth and tackle deprivation and inequality. Freedoms include more flexibility on employment and skills, building on the already successful Employment Consortia, agreeing transport priorities, and a new relationship with national transport agencies.
The ambition is to drive growth in local economies and to close the gap with the top performing areas in the country through partnerships that cross local authority boundaries - whether authorities, government agencies such as Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council, the private and third sectors. Ultimately this should help boost regional prosperity and people to reach their potential - connecting them to jobs, skills, and affordable homes, regardless of where they live or work.
A purely voluntary initiative, these agreements are the result of a new-style conversation between central and local government, and signal the drive within regions to take collective responsibility to improve prosperity, tackle pockets of deprivation, and create places where people want to live, work and play.
Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears said: "Some of the issues that make the biggest difference to local people don't respect local boundaries. Whether it's boosting the economy by skilling people and enabling them onto their career path, making transport work, building the right homes in the right places. If they want to make a big difference, councils need to come together.
"Everyone knows that together we can achieve more than the sum of our parts. Today's agreements - which are the first of their kind - stand testament to that.
"Coordinating efforts can achieve better outcomes for local people and businesses. Local areas will work shoulder-to-shoulder to boost economic growth, tackle entrenched pockets of deprivation and unlock their residents' potential across the sub-region - helping areas to catch up economically.
"A better economy means a better quality of life for local people through connecting people to training, work and homes through better transport. This means more choice and less compromise so people can do this in a way that mirrors they way they live their life - instead of mirroring their local authority boundary".
Councillor Paul Watson, Chair of the Tyne and Wear City Region Executive Board and Sunderland Council Leader, said: "The MAA presents a unique opportunity to deliver significant improvements to the job prospects of people in the City Region, and to ensure that our transport infrastructure supports economic growth and prosperity.
"While the MAA submission represents the culmination of months of detailed work by the City Region partnership, we recognise that this is only the first stage of a long-term programme. City Region partners are committed to working with Government to ensure that the proposals in our MAA are delivered and that the outcomes we are seeking to achieve more of our people equipped with the skills to obtain quality jobs and a transport infrastructure that supports and does not hinder prosperity are realised."
The Government has said that it is committed to work with areas if they want to change their focus or widen their agreement's scope and has pledged to consider whether there is a case for legislation to allow those who want to formalise these arrangements.
The first seven MAAs - with tailored approaches and stretching targets for their area - are the start of a long-term relationship between Government and sub-regions which will see other agreements signed over the next year. They come a year since the publication of the Sub-National Review.
