Mayor plans to tackle child poverty

Mayor Kim McGuinness said she was optimistic about working with north-east of England communities

Free school meals provided "independently of government" could help a region tackle child poverty, its mayor has said.

Labour's Kim McGuinness is considering a range of strategies in an effort to address the rate of impoverished children across the north-east of England.

She told the BBC that breakfast clubs, a mayoral childcare grant and the re-introduction of Surestart-style services could also help, alongside a focus on what she called "structural issues".

The newly elected North East mayor said: "We've got a really willing region, everyone wants to tackle this problem."

Ms McGuinness said removing barriers to work and training, along with reducing the area's social housing waiting list, would also contribute in the battle against poverty.

The politician said her team had "not been hanging about" since she was elected in May.

Work in progress included bringing buses back under public control, she said.

Newton Aycliffe 'dead'

"I don't want everyone looking to one part of our region over another," she added.

"We are better together as as bloc.

"We've got 2.1m people and our biggest selling point is the pride we have in the region."

Town centres will also be a focus for Ms McGuinness.

Newton Aycliffe residents Zoe Wilson and Marlene Symington are among those calling for improvements to their local high street.

They said the town had been "going downhill" for years, with empty shops, and high rents were driving businesses and shoppers to other areas.

"It's a dead town, literally," Ms Wilson said.

"It's easier to stay at home and buy things online, which isn't helping small businesses."

Zoe Wilson and Marlene Symington are calling for improvements in Newton Aycliffe

Ms Symington said she had lived in the area for 40 years and had "watched it go downhill".

Ms McGuinness said a High Streets Commission would work with businesses and residents to consider how best to improve towns like Newton Aycliffe.

"We've seen bigger shops exit our high streets and it shows how unstable they are and now much at the mercy of big brands we have been," she said.

"We want to be building from the foundations up, supporting people wanting to start small businesses that are more sustainable and want to work locally."

She said mayoral development corporations, such as the one in place across the Tees Valley, were being explored as an option for town centre improvements.