Live Mayoral Question Time Makes Successful Debut In Yarm

Tees Valley Combined Authority | Published on: 24th July 2025

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has faced questions in front of a live audience in the first of a new series of in-person question time sessions.

Members of the public attended Yarm School’s Princess Alexandra auditorium last night (23 July) to quiz the Mayor on topics covering the local bus network, developments at Teesworks, plans for autonomous trams and how to regenerate Middlesbrough town centre.

Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Hodgson chaired the lively session.

The Mayor will tour all boroughs of the Tees Valley over the course of this term alongside his monthly public radio phone-ins on BBC Radio Tees.

The Mayor and Combined Authority Cabinet approved a Mayoral question time in March, bringing the Combined Authority in line with other Combined Authorities including Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and West Midlands.

Further dates and venues for ticketed Question Time events in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland will be announced soon.

Mayor Houchen said: “It was great to answer questions in my hometown and I’m glad more people got the chance to grill me in the flesh.

“I’m more than happy for people to ask me anything – so I’d urge people to pick up their phones for the monthly BBC Radio Tees phone-in, and to keep their eyes peeled for details of the next in-person Question Time events across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”

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