93-560: The Northern General Transport Company was a bus company in North East England . It originated in the early 1900s when Gateshead and District Tramways asked Parliament's permission to extend their Tramway, which finished at Low Fell , to Chester-le-Street . Parliament denied this, so the directors decided to set up a motor bus operation instead. Hence the Northern General Transport Company
186-734: A 29% stake in Sydvasten AB which operated rail services between Gothenburg and Malmö . Go-Ahead decided to exit from both ventures in May 2000. Wycombe Bus Company was sold to Arriva in December 2000. In August 2003, the Wilts & Dorset bus business was purchased. In June 2005 Solent Blue Line and Southern Vectis were purchased. In September 2005, the Lewes and Seaford operations of Stagecoach South were acquired and integrated into
279-924: A 50% stake, commenced operating a yellow school bus contract in St Louis , Missouri . In July 2014, Go-Ahead exited the United States following the loss of its yellow bus contract. In May 2011, Go-Ahead acquired Thames Travel in South Oxfordshire . Acquisitions in 2012 were Carousel Buses (March) integrated into Oxford Bus Company , Essex-based Hedingham (March), the Northumberland Park -based operations of First London (March), Anglian Bus (April) in Norfolk and Suffolk , and HC Chambers & Son , Suffolk (June) (immediately operationally merged with Hedingham). In March 2012,
372-620: A business growth fund to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMES). Businesses investing in the region are supported by the Local Enterprise Partnerships of Tees Valley (part of the TVCA ) and the North East. Both these organisations manage enterprise zones (Invest North East England and Tees Valley Business) to encourage new business investors. There are also several Industry and Business led Cluster bodies in
465-457: A fine to the DfT, setting aside up to £30 million for this. Go-Ahead also stated that they may also owe DfT an additional £21.3 million, related to a dispute over profit sharing. On 13 June 2022, a consortium of Australia's Kinetic Group (51%) and Spain's Globalvia (49%) launched a takeover bid of Go-Ahead, initially valuing the company at £647 million. Two months later, the offer
558-432: A higher-ratio rear axle for operation on longer trunk routes. However, throughout the 1970s it became increasingly uneconomic to have conductors on inter-urban services. Despite driver and customer satisfaction, Northern had little option but to replace them. Northern placed a large order for Bristol VRs with Eastern Coach Works and Willowbrook bodywork in 1977 to replace them. On 1 January 1969, Northern became part of
651-542: A large operator operating in London, Surrey and Sussex was acquired. Initially, Go-Ahead was structured as an unlisted public company and was owned 90 percent by its management. In May 1994, it was floated on the London Stock Exchange . In October 1994, Go-Ahead purchased London Central during the privatisation of London Buses . In March 1995, OK Motor Services was purchased and integrated into
744-597: A new Transport for Cornwall brand, with plans calling for an additional 130 vehicles. On 28 September 2021, the Department for Transport announced it would terminate the Southeastern franchise the following month after the discovery of financial misconduct. Southeastern had not declared over £25 million that should have been repaid to the government in the period since 2014. Go-Ahead's Chief Financial Officer resigned over this matter. On 9 December 2021,
837-708: A number of pubs , which were sold on during February 1996. Despite bidding for a number of other larger bus operators in the intervening period, Go-Ahead's first major acquisition was Brighton & Hove in November 1993, followed by the Oxford Bus Company and Wycombe Bus Company in March 1994. In May 1997, the Brighton & Hove operation expanded with the acquisition of the former municipal operator Brighton Transport. During September 1999, Metrobus ,
930-632: A result of abundant minerals such as salt and coal, the chemical industry of the Northeast England is today spread across the whole of the region, with pharmaceuticals being primarily produced in the north of the region, speciality and fine chemicals spread across the middle of the region and commodity chemicals and petrochemicals on Teesside. These companies are members of the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). The early chemical industry in this region, however,
1023-607: A sale to Dnata UK and Servisair . In September 2010, Meteor Parking was sold to Vinci SA , bringing Go-Ahead's involvement in the aviation support industry to a close. In October 1996, Go-Ahead entered the UK rail market when it commenced operating the Thames Trains franchise, which it ran until March 2004. The franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Victory Rail Holdings; Go-Ahead owned 65% of
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#17327799222951116-566: A strong religious past, as can be seen in works such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . The works of Cuthbert (634–687 AD), Bede (673–735 AD) and Hilda of Whitby (614–680 AD) were hugely influential in the early church, and are still venerated by some today. These saints are usually associated with the monasteries on the island of Lindisfarne , Wearmouth-Jarrow , and
1209-677: Is a multi-national transport group based in Newcastle upon Tyne , England. While the majority of its operations are within Great Britain, it also operates services in Ireland, Australia, Singapore, and Norway. Go-Ahead was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange prior to being purchased by Kinetic Group and Globalvia by 2022. The Go-Ahead Group was originally founded in February 1987 as Go-Ahead Northern Limited as part of
1302-532: Is also the English stronghold of black grouse and contains 80–90% of the UK population of yellow marsh saxifrage . The Magnesian Limestone grasslands of East Durham are a unique habitat not found anywhere else in the world which is particularly important to many species of butterfly and moths. The Northeast of England also features woodland such as Kielder Forest , the largest man-made forest in Europe. This
1395-504: Is an organisation created in the region to share knowledge and best practice between membership based business support organisations in the Northeast of England. The Forum creates a single voice for business when this is needed. This business led forum also links its member organisations to wider business issues, both locally and nationally, through the local and national business membership organisations that are also represented. Members of
1488-597: Is located within Northumberland National Park and contains an important habitat for the endangered red squirrel . The North East has the smallest population of all English regions. The North East with Scotland , the South West of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the British regions to have seen the least immigration in over 50 years. The Northeast of England as a region has
1581-409: Is often low by English standards, in spite of the low levels of sunshine, with Stockton-on-Tees averaging only 574.2 millimetres (22.61 in) annually, and with the seaside town of Tynemouth (despite its slightly sunnier climate) recording 597.2 millimetres (23.51 in) annually. The summers on the northern coastlines are significantly cooler than in the southern and central inland areas: Tynemouth
1674-467: Is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It has three administrative levels below regional level: combined authorities , unitary authorities or metropolitan boroughs , and civil parishes . There are also multiple divisions without administrative functions; ceremonial counties , emergency services ( fire-and-rescue and police ), built-up areas and historic counties . The largest settlements in
1767-512: Is only just above 18 °C (64 °F) in July. Further inland, frosts during winter are more common, due to the higher elevations and distance from the sea. The region has a diverse landscape that includes maritime cliffs and extensive moorland that contains a number of rare species of flora and fauna . Of particular importance are the saltmarshes of Lindisfarne , the Tees Estuary ,
1860-558: Is the UK region with lowest cost of living per household. The 2023 data shows that for the first time since 2010 renting is now 11.3% cheaper than owning a mortgaged property in the North East. Businesses in Northeast England are supported by the North East Chamber of Commerce. The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) is based in Durham and has active sub committees working in all sub regions. To further encourage SMEs in
1953-552: The 2009 European election , Labour got 25% of the region's vote, the Conservatives 20%, the Liberal Democrats 18%, and UK Independence Party 15%. However, in recent years, the North East has seen a significant swing away from Labour. In the 2019 election, many constituencies were targeted by the Conservatives and their representation increased to 10 MPs. The region wide vote shares were 43% for Labour and 38% for
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#17327799222952046-566: The Brighton & Hove business. During December 2005, Go-Ahead purchased The Birmingham Coach Company, which operated express coaches under contract for National Express and local bus services in the West Midlands under the Diamond Bus name. Go-Ahead had been known for some time to be keen to begin operating in the area. In February 2006, another operator in the West Midlands, Probus Management , trading as People's Express ,
2139-506: The Cotswolds . In mid 2023, Go-Ahead Group announced that it was procuring a new fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses to serve routes around Gatwick Airport , Crawley , and Horley ; comprising 54 vehicles, it will be one of the largest hydrogen bus fleets present in the UK. The company has also invested £30 million on establishing a liquid hydrogen refuelling station, the first such facility serving buses in Europe. On 12 October 2023,
2232-459: The Department for Transport announced that Go-Ahead, along with Abellio , FirstGroup , MTR , and Stagecoach , had been shortlisted for the newly created Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise . During May 2014, Govia was awarded the new franchise. This franchise is unusual as a management contract where fare income does not go to GTR, which is simply paid a fee for operating
2325-779: The Go North East operation. In June 1996, a second London bus operation, London General , was acquired from the management team that had purchased it when privatised. In October 1998, Go-Ahead diversified with the acquisition of Gatwick Handling International , a provider of ground handling services at UK airports. Go-Ahead acquired the ground handling operations of British Midland and Midland Airport Services in March 2001, followed by Reed Aviation in August 2001. All these operations, including at Gatwick, all were rebranded as Aviance . In May 2002, Go-Ahead diversified again, acquiring airport-focused Meteor Parking . Included in
2418-607: The London Midland rail franchise. In December 2007, the Orpington services of First London were acquired. In February 2008, Go-Ahead sold Go West Midlands to Rotala 's Central Connect , two years after purchasing the company. In June 2008, the Gatwick Express rail service was incorporated into Southern . In October 2009, East Thames Buses was acquired and integrated into Go-Ahead London as well as
2511-609: The National Bus Company . On 1 May 1970, neighbouring Venture Transport was purchased with 86 buses. In February 1987, as part of the privatisation of the National Bus Company and by now trading as Go-Ahead Northern There is a separate subdivision of the Go-Ahead Group known as Go North West, and was a rebrand of the north east based division around the 2011 period), Northern General Transport
2604-727: The North Atlantic Current of the Gulf Stream . The Met Office operates several weather stations in the region and are able to show the regional variations in temperature and its relation to the distance from the North Sea . The warmest summers in the region are found in Stockton-on-Tees and the Middlesbrough area, with a 1981–2010 July average high of 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). Precipitation
2697-635: The Northern General Transport Company . Early expansion of the company involved the acquisition of several smaller competing bus operators in North East England , such as Gypsy Queen in 1989 and Low Fell Coaches in June 1992. Go-Ahead Northern also became a subcontractor to National Express , operating services to the Midlands, North East, North West and South West England. Around the same time, Go-Ahead Leisure purchased
2790-698: The Tees Valley Combined Authority in 2016. The region is generally hilly and sparsely populated in the North and West, and urban and arable in the East and South. The highest point in the region is The Cheviot , in the Cheviot Hills , at 815 metres (2,674 ft). The region contains the urban centres of Tyneside , Wearside , and Teesside and is noted for the rich natural beauty of its coastline, Northumberland National Park , and
2883-681: The Thameslink franchise, which it ran from March 1997 until March 2006. During August 2001, Govia started running the South Central rail franchise. In October 2000, the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority awarded Govia the South Central rail franchise with operations due to commence in May 2003 when the Connex South Central franchise expired. Govia negotiated a deal with Connex to buy out
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2976-718: The heaths , bogs and traditional upland hay meadows of the North Pennines, and the Arctic-alpine flora of Upper Teesdale. The beauty of the Northumbrian coastline has led to its designation as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) stretching 100 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to the River Coquet estuary. Among the 290 bird species identified on the Farne Islands , is the rare seabird
3069-524: The roseate tern . One of the foremost bird sanctuaries and observatory for migratory and wading birds in the UK is now operated at "Saltholme" which is part of a wider site of special scientific interest called Seal Sands . The Saltholme reserve is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). This project was pronounced as one of the best places to view birds by Bill Oddie ,
3162-595: The 1580s, but by the 16th century the industry had been eclipsed by South Shields on the Tyne. In 1894 the industry returned to Greatham with the establishment of the Greatham Salt and Brine Company by George Weddell. The works was later purchased by the famous salt-making company Cerebos in 1903. By the mid-20th century, Cerebos was owned by the food conglomerate Rank Hovis McDougall , and the factory closed in 2002. Go-Ahead Group The Go-Ahead Group Limited
3255-1057: The 2007 Indices of Deprivation (these indices have been updated in 2010 ). It takes many years for areas to become deprived, suggesting that the underlying causes of area-based deprivation are long-term such as: Industrial restructuring has disproportionately affected some communities and groups. In particular: The region's most deprived council districts, as measured by the LSOA data before County Durham and Northumberland became unitary authorities in 2007, are in descending order Easington (7th in England), Middlesbrough (9th), Hartlepool (23rd), Wear Valley (33rd), Sunderland (35th), Newcastle upon Tyne (37th), South Tyneside (38th), Wansbeck (46th), Redcar and Cleveland (50th), Gateshead (52nd), Sedgefield (54th), Derwentside (73rd), Blyth Valley (80th), and Stockton on Tees (98th). The least deprived council districts in 2007 were, in descending order, Tynedale, Castle Morpeth , Teesdale , then Alnwick . Since
3348-494: The 21st century was in the late 1990s as a result of the government's dispersal policy scheme that relocated asylum seekers and new arrivals throughout the country. In 2017, most migrants were non-EU born, and about 60,000 EU-born. North East England, together with Tweeddale, was the ancient British tribal kingdom of Bernicia (Bryneich) and is notable for providing the stable ancestry of its present indigenous population, which has been identified by DNA analysis to be an offshoot of
3441-474: The Abbey at Whitby , though they are also associated with many other religious sites in the region. Bede is regarded as the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar. He worked at the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow, translating some forty books on all areas of knowledge, including nature, history, astronomy, poetry and theological matters such as the lives of the saints. His best known work is " The Ecclesiastical History of
3534-478: The April 2009 abolition of these four districts, Northumberland is the least deprived, followed by North Tyneside. Unemployment is a severe problem in the North East, where many children grow up in households where no adult works. in 2010 Easington had the highest rate in the country, as 40.3% of its households with children had no working adult, followed by Sedgefield with 34%. As of April 2013, youth unemployment in
3627-481: The Chester-le-Street and Stanley areas. As for vehicles, Guy , Leyland and Crossley were quite common. In the 1950s Northern bought up more smaller bus operators and with expanding industry at the time rebodied quite a few of their prewar buses. However, by the late 1950s these were showing their age, so in 1959 Northern General placed one of the first big orders for the new Leyland Atlantean . By now
3720-601: The Conservatives, with the Brexit Party a distant third on 8%. In November 2004, a referendum on whether a directly elected regional assembly should be set up for North East England resulted in a decisive "no" vote. The number of people who voted against the plans was 696,519 (78%), while 197,310 (22%) voted in favour. John Prescott , the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, admitted that his plans for regional devolution had suffered an "emphatic defeat" to
3813-608: The English People ". One of the most famous pieces of art and literature created in the region is the Lindisfarne Gospels , thought to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698. This body of work is thought to have been created in honour of Cuthbert, around 710–720. In 793, the Vikings arrived on the shores of north-east England with a raiding party from Norway who attacked
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3906-577: The Horsham operations of Arriva Southern Counties that were integrated into Metrobus . In December 2009, Plymouth Citybus was purchased from Plymouth City Council . In March 2010, Konectbus in Norfolk was purchased as well as the Hexham operations of Arriva North East and integrated into Go North East . In August 2010, Go-Ahead America, a joint venture with Cook Illinois in which Go-Ahead held
3999-827: The Industrial Revolution alkali was mostly used to aid the bleaching process of cloth. As the Industrial Revolution took hold, increasing demand for alkali came from higher production of dyestuffs, and bleach. In 1798 John Losh and the Earl of Dundonald took out a lease for a rich supply of brine pumped from a nearby coal mine, the Walker pit, becoming the supplier of raw material for The Losh, Wilson & Bell Alkali works. The works were established at Walker-on-Tyne in 1807 and bleaching powder manufacture began there in 1830, Losh Brothers soon manufactured half
4092-582: The North East began to convert to motor bus operation, expanding into Sunderland and North Tyneside taking over the declining tramway routes and expanding the bus routes further. By now Northern even built their own buses to accommodate the high passenger numbers with the very low bridges in the area (meaning three-axle single deckers). There were by now excursion services, parcel deliveries and long-distance services to other cities including London Victoria Coach Station . After 1945, Northern and United started more co-operation on routes and further expansion in
4185-638: The North East of England to Export, the Northeast Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) has collaborated with the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) and RTC North Limited to create a jointly owned subsidiary company Go Global Limited to manage the contract they have to deliver the United Kingdom Trade & Investment (UKTI), Government funded, support products and programme for all business sectors in their region. The UKTI business support products, to help grow international trade, are focused on supporting individual SMEs to grow their exports and they also support Trade Missions to new markets. The Northern Business Forum
4278-422: The North East was 24.8%, with 51,000 out of work. In 2013, the Office for National Statistics report issued the statements highlighted in the table below: In November 2017 the region's employment dropped to 5.5%, the joint highest unemployment rate in the UK. In the ONS International Territorial Levels (ITL), North East England is a level-1 ITL region, coded "UKC", which is subdivided as follows: In 2013,
4371-408: The Northeast, and if so, how deprived neighbourhoods can be better recognised. Secondly to present a summary of "what works" in tackling deprivation in each of these types of area. The report discusses the factors influencing deprivation and points out that it is a significant problem for the North East with 34% of the regions Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) are amongst England's 20% most deprived in
4464-447: The Tyne includes the Port of Tyne North Estate, Swan Hunter in North Tyneside, and Neptune Yard in Newcastle. The zone was launched in April 2012. In that year another cluster of sites, composing the Blyth Estuary Renewable Energy Zone at Port of Blyth , was added to the zone. The enterprise zone contains ten sites over the three clusters, covering 115 hectares (280 acres) in total. After more than 2,000 years of industrial activity as
4557-436: The UK railway sector via the operation of the Thames Trains franchise. Via the Govia joint venture, it bid for additional rail franchises in Britain, securing the Thameslink and later the Southeastern and London Midland operations. During mid 2000, the French state-owned enterprise Caisse des Dépts-Développement (C3D) attempted a hostile takeover of Go-Ahead, which was successfully opposed by its management team. In
4650-464: The announcement. On 24 February 2022, Go-Ahead published their delayed 2020–21 results, and announced the outcome of investigations into the termination of the franchise. The review found that "serious errors had been made” since 2006, with the expected cost to the company to be over £80 million. The amount owed to the DfT was increased to £51.3 million, with errors dating back to 2006. Go-Ahead also stated that they expect to have to pay
4743-441: The bus station in Durham (as a terminus) before Tilling 's United Automobile Services arrived there. After World War I , services really got going. In Newcastle two bus stations were opened, Marlborough Crescent and Worswick Street . Depots were built in Stanley and Gateshead which was to become the workshops and in 1933 the head office. Throughout the 1930s smaller independents were bought out and British Electric Tracton in
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#17327799222954836-421: The change from raiding to settlement when it records that in 876 the Vikings "Shared out the land of the Northumbrians and they proceeded to plough and support themselves" The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria extended from the Scottish borders (then Pictish borders) at the Firth of Forth to the north, and to the south of York , its capital, down to the Humber. The last independent Northumbrian king from 947–8
4929-405: The company announced that its auditors needed more time to consider the implications of the misconduct and potential fines from the Department for Transport (DfT). Consequently, the annual results would not be ready at the end of the company's financial year on 2 January 2022, which would oblige the company to request suspension of trading in its shares. The share price fell by about 15% on the day of
5022-508: The company at £669 million. During January 2023, it was announced that Go-Ahead was expanding into the Australian market via the U-Go Mobility joint venture with the engineering company UGL . The Go-Ahead Group was originally founded as Go-Ahead Northern Limited on 17 February 1987 as a consequence of the privatisation of the National Bus Company , during which a partial management buyout led by Martin Ballinger and Chris Moyes purchased its Gateshead -based northern division, known as
5115-508: The company entered into an agreement to sell Go-Ahead Germany to ÖBB ; the sales process was completed on 1 February 2024, after approvals have been obtained from various international authorities under competition law. In January 2024, Connecting Stockholm , which is majority-owned by Go-Ahead (55%) was awarded the operation contract for the Stockholm Metro system. The contract will be worth approximately SEK 40 billion over its 11 year period and will commence in May 2025, taking over from
5208-481: The conquest in 1080 by Robert Curthose , William the Conqueror's eldest son. The region has the following sub-divisions: Created in 1994, the region was defined as Northumberland , Tyne and Wear , County Durham and Cleveland . A 1996 local-government reform created ceremonial counties and unitary authorities, allowing districts to govern outside their designated counties. The reform also abolished Cleveland with it split between County Durham and North Yorkshire ,
5301-446: The estimated number of conceptions to women aged under 18 in England and Wales in 2011 is the lowest since records began in 1969. Conception statistics include pregnancies that result in either one or more live births or stillbirths or a legal abortion. A comparison of rates across regions in England shows that the North East had the highest of under 18 conception rates in 2011, with 38.4 per thousand women aged 15–17. The South East had
5394-439: The existing management team. C3D sought to integrate Go-Ahead with its Transdev S.A. bus and light rail operator. In October 2000, C3D's takeover effort came to nought. For a short time , Go-Ahead entered into two joint ventures with VIA-GTI and BK Tåg to operate rail services in Sweden. Go-Ahead had a 39% stake in City Pendeln AB which was to operate the Citypendeln commuter rail business in Stockholm . Go-Ahead also had
5487-446: The former host of the BBC's Spring Watch Programme. In December 2012 he also presented the project with a prize as the UK's favorite National Lottery funded project. The seal colony at Seal Sands on the mouth of the River Tees is thriving and in 2013 had more than 60 harbour seals . This is the only breeding colony of this species on the northeast coast. " Rainton Meadows " is also a recently created bird-watching site. The region
5580-415: The forum include NECC, NEPIC, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Confederation of British Industry (CBI) North East, the Make UK Northern, The Institute of Directors (IOD) and RTC North. RTC North provide business expertise in specific growth areas such as product innovation, market research, technology transfer, commercialisation, business growth. North East Access to Finance (NEA2F) operates
5673-407: The friendly rivalry between Northern and United was at its peak, and United being a Tilling Group company had Bristol Lodekkas and the underpowered Atlanteans put Northern at a disadvantage. After assessing and testing a demonstrator AEC Routemaster , Northern placed an initial order for 18, followed by another 32, and later prototype RMF1254 was purchased. They were fitted with Leyland engines and
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#17327799222955766-430: The group "Scotland, Cumbria and the North of Ireland", but not so closely related to the other peoples of the UK. In a 2022 study by Joscha Gretzinger et al., the population of North East England was found to be among the groups with the highest amount of Iron Age/Roman period British Isles-related ancestry, being on par with Cornish people in that regard. The Office for National Statistics in April 2013 report that
5859-533: The late 1990s and early 2000s, Go-Ahead diversified into ground handling services at various British airports via the acquisition of Gatwick Handling International , British Midland , and Reed Aviation. During 2010, Go-Ahead disposed of its airport-based operations, the majority being sold to Dnata UK and Servisair . During the early 2010s, Go-Ahead acquired numerous other British transport companies, including Thames Travel , Carousel Buses , Hedingham , Anglian Bus , and HC Chambers & Son . During late 2015, it
5952-447: The latter county covers parts of two regions since. The region is mostly parished with some remaining unparished areas following the 1974 creation of the Cleveland districts, Darlington , Tyne and Wear districts, Derwentside and Wear Valley . The North East has a strong tendency to vote Labour . In the 2015 election , 47% of the electorate voted Labour, while 25% voted Conservative , 17% UKIP, 6% Liberal Democrat and 4% Green. At
6045-403: The lowest rate for women aged under 18 in 2011 with 26.1 per thousand women aged 15–17. A study into social deprivation was published in 2010 to help the local partners developing a Regional Strategy for the North East better understand the factors influencing deprivation in the region. The study had two main aspects: Firstly to establish if there are different types of deprived neighbourhoods in
6138-421: The lowest rate of HIV infection in the UK, but has the highest rate of heart attacks among men and of lung cancer among women in England, along with the highest male lung cancer rate in the UK. In 2010, the region had the second highest trade union membership among UK men. Higher education students from the North East are most likely to pick a university in their home region. The last immigration wave before
6231-399: The main locations for the chemical industry such that in the 19th century, which led to a cluster of iron, soap and alkali manufacturing. By 1828 the alkali works had a large problem controlling emissions of hydrochloric acid fumes which devastated the neighbouring countryside. One solution was to build tall chimneys to drive the fumes further away and in 1833 the tallest chimney in England
6324-433: The monastic settlement on Lindisfarne. The monks fled or were slaughtered, and Bishop Higbald sought refuge on the mainland. A chronicler recorded: "On the 8th June, the harrying of the heathen miserably destroyed God's church by rapine and slaughter." There were three hundred years of Viking raids, battles and settlement until William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at Hastings in 1066. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes
6417-411: The no campaign, spearheaded by Dominic Cummings . Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative spokesman for the regions, said the vote would mean the end of plans for a North East Assembly. He told the BBC : "The whole idea of regional government has been blown out of the water by this vote". The former Association of North East Councils was based in Newcastle upon Tyne , and the preceding North East Assembly
6510-422: The purchase of Gatwick Handling International in 1998 was a 50% shareholding in Plane Handling , and in August 2004 Go-Ahead purchased the remaining 50% from Virgin Aviation . In December 2006 Gatwick Airport parking operator PAS was purchased and integrated into Meteor Parking, followed by security provider Nikaro in February 2007. In January 2010, Go-Ahead disposed of most of its airport-based operations via
6603-428: The region and a special exhibition based around the Roman Fort of Segedunum at Wallsend and the other forts along Hadrian's Wall are complemented by the numerous artifacts that are displayed in the Great North Museum Hancock in Newcastle. St. Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth , Sunderland and St. Pauls in Jarrow also hold significant historical value and have a joint bid to become a World Heritage Site. The area has
6696-463: The region are Newcastle upon Tyne , Middlesbrough , Sunderland , Gateshead , Darlington , Hartlepool and Durham . The region's historic importance is displayed by Northumberland's ancient castles, the two World Heritage Sites of Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle , and Hadrian's Wall , one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire . In fact, Roman archaeology can be found widely across
6789-541: The region had the highest proportion of Christians in Great Britain. A number of the region's settlements expanded from around priories, abbeys and monasteries. The latest statistical report from the Office for National Statistics comparing the North East of England to other regions of the United Kingdom, dated May 2012, states: The North East is the most affordable region in the UK. Figures from 2017 indicate it
6882-575: The region to network and engage companies on a sector basis and give local business-to-business advice and supply chain intelligence: the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) (chemicals-polymers-pharmaceuticals-biotech), the Northern Offshore Federation (NOF) (energy and offshore engineering), Service Network (accountants-finance-law firms-HR) and Make UK (defence related engineering), Design Network North (DNN) (design issues for all sectors.) The Invest North East,
6975-499: The remainder of its franchise. During July 2000, French government owned Caisse des Dépts-Développement (C3D) submitted a bid to purchase Go-Ahead; this offer, which was valued at £326 million, was promptly rejected by the company. A hostile takeover bid was issued by C3D one month later; it was declared to be "unwelcome" by Go-Ahead chairman Sir Frederick Holliday. Go-Ahead pledged to fight for its independence and promoted its expansion plans to shareholders to persuade them to back
7068-587: The same month, Go-Ahead Germany were awarded two rail contracts in Stuttgart , Germany. The contracts commenced in 2019–2020. In August 2017, Go-Ahead won a tender to run 24 routes previously operated by Dublin Bus . Go-Ahead Ireland commenced the contract with the National Transport Authority to operate these routes on 9 September 2018. In June 2018, East Yorkshire Motor Services
7161-456: The section of the Pennines that includes Teesdale and Weardale . North East England has a Marine west coast climate (generally found along the west coast of middle latitude continents) with narrower temperature ranges than the south of England and sufficient precipitation in all months. Summers and winters are mild rather than extremely hot or cold, due to the strong maritime influence of
7254-506: The service, so GTR carries less revenue risk. This form of franchise was chosen because of long-term engineering works anticipated around London, which would be a significant challenge to organise within the normal form of franchise. During November 2015, Go-Ahead Singapore was awarded a contract to operate 25 bus services in Singapore previously operated by SBS Transit out of Loyang Bus Depot , which commenced on 4 September 2016. In
7347-524: The shares in Victory Rail Holdings with the remaining 35% held by some ex British Rail managers and employees. Go-Ahead bought the remaining shares it did not own in June 1998. Also in 1996, Go-Ahead entered into the Govia joint venture with French company VIA-GTI (which later became Keolis ), in order to bid for more UK rail franchises. Govia was 65% owned by Go-Ahead. Govia was awarded
7440-567: The soda in England. By 1814 the Leblanc process of making alkali from common salt was introduced to Britain. Alkali works using this process opened at Tyne Dock 1822, Felling shore Tyneside 1826, Friars Goose Gateshead 1828 and again on Felling Shore in 1834. Such works also produced soda, alum and Epsom salts. The river frontage at South Shore of the River Tyne at Gateshead was one of
7533-520: The wider privatisation of the National Bus Company . Early expansion centred around the acquisition of several smaller competing bus operators in North East England and operating as a subcontractor to National Express ; during the early 1990s, the Brighton & Hove , Oxford Bus Company , and London Central were all acquired. During May 1994, Go-Ahead was floated on the London Stock Exchange. In October 1996, Go-Ahead entered
7626-631: Was Eric Bloodaxe , who died at the Battle of Stainmore , Westmorland, in 954. After Eric Bloodaxe's death, all England was ruled by Eadred , the grandson of Alfred the Great ; and so began the machinery of national government. Today, the Viking legacy can still be found in the language and place names of north-east England and in the DNA of its people. The name Newcastle comes from the castle built shortly after
7719-595: Was acquired and integrated into Go-Ahead London , followed in October 2006 by Marchwood Motorways which was integrated into Go South Coast . In June 2007, Blue Triangle was acquired and integrated into Go-Ahead London. In September 2007, Northumbria Coaches was purchased and integrated into Go North East , followed by Stanley Buses (the bus service subsidiary of Stanley Taxis) in October 2007, and Redby Buses in January 2008. In November 2007, Govia began operating
7812-701: Was announced by the government in 2011. The zone focuses on technology for low carbon vehicle development, marine offshore and subsea engineering, petrochemicals and renewable energy. At the time of announcement the enterprise zone included two clusters of sites, an Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle zone in Sunderland and a zone on the River Tyne North Bank. The Sunderland cluster is close to the Nissan plant and includes Turbine Business Park. It hosts Gateshead College 's Future Technology Centre. The cluster on
7905-592: Was based in Gateshead until its dissolution in 2009. Local enterprise partnerships were established, these later became combined authorities. The North East Combined Authority was established in 2014 and covered much of the region excluding Tees Valley . North of Tyne authorities later split off, leaving authorities south of the River Tyne. The Tees Valley boroughs (Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar & Cleveland, and Middlesbrough) established
7998-677: Was built at the Friars Goose Alkali Works. The passing of the Alkali Act of 1863 in the UK Parliament brought about a further reduced pollution from these processes and was the first industrial environmental legislation to come into practice globally. Salt-making in and around Greatham (between Hartlepool and Billingham) had been important in Roman and medieval times, and salt was also produced on Wearside from
8091-484: Was contracted to operate bus and rail services in Germany and Singapore ; in subsequent years, Go-Ahead also expanded into Ireland and Norway. On 28 September 2021, Britain's Department for Transport terminated Go-Ahead's Southeastern franchise after the discovery of financial misconduct. During August 2022, a consortium of Australia's Kinetic Group (51%) and Spain's Globalvia (49%) took over Go-Ahead, having valued
8184-635: Was formed and its first depot was built at Picktree Lane, Chester-le-Street in 1913. Gateshead Tramways was a subsidiary of British Electric Traction . The first motor bus service was from Chester-le-Street, via Birtley , to Low Fell, where there was a connection to the Gateshead trams. The service was quickly extended to Gateshead and within a few years crossed the River Tyne to finish in Newcastle . Other motor bus routes quickly developed from Chester-le-Street, its central location being ideal for other towns and colliery villages nearby. Northern even built
8277-641: Was increased to £669 million. Shortly thereafter, 78.6% of Go-Ahead's shareholders voted to accept the offer. During January 2023, it was announced that Go-Ahead was expanding into the Australian market via the U-Go Mobility joint venture with the engineering company UFL ; this venture had been recently awarded a contract by Transport New South Wales to operate buses in Sydney . In June 2023, Go-Ahead bought Pulhams Coaches, expanding its presence into
8370-480: Was primarily Tyneside based and associated with the manufacture of soap and glass. The most important chemical activity in the 18th and 19th centuries was the manufacture of alkali to make soap, which was when mixed with lime and sand and used to make glass. The effects of the industrial revolution could be seen through an economy dominated by iron and steel, coal mining and shipbuilding. Rationalisation of chemical firms in 1891 left only four works on Tyneside. Before
8463-841: Was purchased with over 300 buses. In January 2019, Go-Ahead Ireland commenced operating a further six routes between Dublin and its outlying commuter towns, previously operated by Bus Éireann . During October 2018, Go-Ahead won a tender to run the Oslo south package, consisting of three routes previously operated by NSB. Go-Ahead Norge commenced the contract with the Norwegian Railway Directorate to operate these routes in December 2019. In February 2019, Go-Ahead announced it would buy First Greater Manchester 's Cheetham Hill depot with 163 buses and brand it Go North West . During March 2020, Go Cornwall Bus partnered with Cornwall Council and local operators to form
8556-751: Was purchased. In August 2006, the Birmingham Coach Company (trading as Diamond Bus) and Probus operations were regrouped under the Go West Midlands Limited legal entity, with the bus operations branded as Diamond in the West Midlands. In February 2006, the Hants & Dorset Trim bus refurbishment business was purchased. In April 2006, the Govia joint venture commenced operating the South Eastern franchise as Southeastern . During September 2006, Docklands Buses
8649-511: Was sold in a management buyout , becoming the first company of what is now the Go-Ahead Group . The Northern General Transport Company Ltd was renamed Go Northern Limited in June 1998, and is still owned by the Go-Ahead Group although the company has been dormant since approximately 2009. See the Go-Ahead Group page for more information on the operating history since privatisation in 1987. North East England North East England
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