Tees Valley councillor no-shows scupper decisions

Tees Valley Combined Authority scrutiny panel meetings need at least 10 councillors to show up

Councillors failing to turn up to meetings has prevented a committee that oversees millions of pounds from making any decisions.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) overview and scrutiny panel has not been able to take any official action since January.

Six people turned up for Thursday's meeting out of a required 10.

Labour chairwoman Norma Stephenson said councillors "should ask themselves how committed they are".

Her report on diversity - which coincidentally includes ways of improving attendance at meetings - could not be passed for the third meeting in a row.

'Verging on farcical'

The TVCA has approved an investment of £588m on transport, education, town centres, business, culture, research and tourism over the next 10 years.

The scrutiny committee checks the money is spent properly, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Conservative councillor Philip Thomson said it was "verging on farcical" that the panel was unable to make decisions.

"There is such a lot of work to do to scrutinise public expenditure - this committee is failing in its duty if it cannot meet in a quorate arrangement," he said.

Mrs Stephenson said she would be raising the issue of attendance with the five councils that form the authority - Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Stockton.

Ten members, with representatives from at least four of the separate councils, are required to attend a meeting to make it quorate.

The panel's next meeting is on 13 June.