Last week I presented a paper to Nothumberland County Council Cabinet outlining extra steps being taken to strengthen governance of the council’s regeneration company Advance Northumberland. Steps include a new Operating Agreement between the Council and Advance, separation of duties so that councillors on the board of Advance do not participate in decisions about Advance and a Loans Board to approve lending.

These steps will ensure the flagrant misuse of taxpayer’s money that happened under the previous Labour administration with previous development company Arch cannot happen again.

Read the Hexham Courant Report here.