Questions remain as Tees Valley Combined Authority fails to shake off government Best Value notice

No end in sight for Teesworks oversight as Best Value Notice stays in place

Government keeps tight grip on Tees Valley Combined Authority following public money concerns...

14th April 2026

A government Best Value Notice issued against a troubled Teesside Orgainsation is set to continue after ministers were said to have been 'unimpressed' with the speed improvements were to have taken place, with the Best Value Notice (BVN) – imposed on the Tees Valley Combined Authority in April last year – remaining in force, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has now confirmed.

The notice was originally expected to be reviewed after a year, but officials have now confirmed it will continue, with no clear date set for the next review.

BVN Linked to Teesworks concerns

The BVN was issued in April last year following concerns over the Combined Authorities running of the controversial Teesworks Project.

The intervention followed an independent review into the multi-billion pound Teesworks site in Redcar – one of the largest brownfield regeneration projects in Europe, with the review being launched amid allegations of corruption, surrounding the development.

Investigators have since found no evidence of criminal activity or unlawful conduct.

Instead, the report highlighted concerns around governance at the TVCA, recommending stronger oversight and greater transparency in how decisions are made and public money is managed.

“Improvement journey” continues

A spokesman for the combined authority said it was continuing to work closely with government as part of what it claims is an “ongoing improvement journey”.

In December, Rob Whiteman, who chairs the independent board overseeing improvements, stated that the authority was on track to meet its targets.

However, sources talking to The Teesside & Durham Post last month dispute that assessment, claiming the Tees Valley Combined Authority remains some way off meeting the standards required for the Best Value Notice to be lifted, with concerns said to persist around governance, decision-making processes, and the operation of key development bodies, including the Hartlepool Development Corporation and the Middlesbrough Development Corporation.

At the time, Whiteman claimed the notice could potentially be lifted before summer 2026, however that now appears uncertain, with the government confirming the BVN will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

The continuation of the notice means ongoing central government scrutiny over how the Tees Valley authority operates – particularly around major regeneration schemes and the use of public funds, with seemingly little signs of improvement if any at all to the point that the government would be satisfied enough to step back, with sources claiming the BVN is likely to remain in place for at least another year, possibly longer.