Middlesbrough and Hartlepool: Government hails boost for towns

The government says Hartlepool will benefit as part of plans to narrow the North-South divide

Middlesbrough and Hartlepool will be regenerated through two new development corporations, Michael Gove has said.

The Levelling Up Secretary said Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen will get new powers with the corporations to revamp both town centres.

Mr Gove was speaking at the Convention of the North in Manchester, a gathering of major political figures.

He also announced £30m for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to improve social housing.

Since 2010, Conservative governments have given more powers, responsibilities and spending to city region mayors and other local political leaders.

Development corporations help areas that need large-scale coordination of investment and planning.

They are bodies set up to regenerate a designated area, bringing land and buildings into effective use and acting as the planning authority.

Michael Gove said he wanted to unlock the potential of places such as Middlesbrough

There is currently a development corporation covering the former SSI steelworks site in Redcar and many neighbouring businesses.

Mr Gove also said the government wanted to see more devolution in Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Warrington, Hull and East Yorkshire, potentially paving the way for elected mayors there.

"As well as deepening devolution we must also broaden it," he said.

"I am very conscious that the mayoral model has its critics and sceptics. I am particularly conscious that communities on the periphery of mayoral geographies sometimes worry that their needs can be overlooked.

"But I do not think there is a tension between Manchester's success and Bury's, or Sunderland's growth and Spennymoor's, or indeed Newcastle's prosperity and Blyth's regeneration.

"Attracting investment to magnet cities is a necessary part of reviving the economic fortunes of satellite towns.

"If we unlock the potential of our major cities then the whole country benefits. Improving the productivity of the nine UK second cities will add billions to the UK economy."