The Northern Way, John Prescott's regeneration plan for the North, is damaging regions' ability to determine their future, according to a leading member of the North-east regional assembly.
Councillor Chris Foote-Wood, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the assembly, said regional decision-making was in danger of being bypassed by diktats from central government or super-regional quangos.

He said: "Prescott threatens to put the regions in a straitjacket while supposedly giving us more powers through directly elected assemblies."

Foote-Wood believes the Northern Way should be prepared by assemblies, not un-elected regional development agencies.

He also said the strategy would delay building plans for the North-east. Consideration of the North-east's spatial strategy was postponed last week pending the finalisation of the Northern Way, according to Foote-Wood.

Source

Housing Today