FURTHER details of a proposed poll on the devolution of powers to the North-East will be revealed next week.

Durham County Council has announced plans to carry out a postal poll of residents on proposals to devolve power to the region, including a directly-elected mayor.

The poll, to be carried out early next year, will be the first time any English devolution deal will have been put to the public vote, although the result will not be binding.

Members of the council will be asked to agree arrangements for the poll when they meet at County Hall on Wednesday (Dec 9).

The poll would be funded from the council’s contingency budget and the questions will be drawn up by Durham University.

The authority is currently unable to say how much the poll would cost, but a report says it anticipates the cost would be “less than half” the £650,000 which it cost to hold the election of a police and crime commissioner.

The proposed devolution agreement was negotiated with the Treasury by the North East Combined Authority, made up of the seven councils covering Gateshead, Newcastle, North and South Tyneside, Northumberland, Sunderland and County Durham.

Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “The Government has since made it clear that any devolution agreements will also involve the creation of a regional elected mayor to oversee and be accountable for those decisions.

“In addition there are issues, unique to County Durham, which require consideration – including the fact that our transport, health, police and fire services do not follow the same geographic boundaries as those in other parts of the combined authority area.

“We therefore felt it was important that the people of County Durham were given the opportunity to have their say on this proposed devolution agreement.”