2022 is our year of construction. Getting here has taken years of hard work and preparation, but
we’re now seeing spades in the ground, cranes in the sky and progress on key developments
happening like we’ve never seen before right across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
Now is exciting time for our region because we are at the heart of the Government’s policy agenda like never before. Innovative policies like Freeport status present enormous opportunity to an area like ours with a rich history of advanced manufacturing and that’s exactly why I pushed so hard for the
Government to implement one here. Now, we’re the UK’s largest and first fully operational Freeport. We’re also establishing our region as the go-to place to develop groundbreaking net zero technology which is crucial to our return to prosperity.
Take Net Zero Teesside for example – it’s the world’s first industrial scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage facility which will be crucial to achieving the Government’s ambition to reach net zero by 2050. The project is set to create thousands of new jobs during the construction and operational phases, but will also help safeguard thousands more existing jobs in the chemical ls and processing sector by decarbonising our chemicals and processing industries. There’s no reason that we can’t go even further and solidify our position on the global stage as well. Just last month we secured £1 billion of investment from Saudi Arabian firm alfanar to develop sustainable aviation fuel at scale – a UK first. The leading
role our region is playing in net zero technology means we’ll continue to welcome massive investments like this.
It’s exactly because we’re grasping opportunities such as these with both hands that we’re seeing real change. In just a few months, work will begin on SeAH’s £300m offshore wind monopile manufacturing facility on Teesworks, rising to a height of 40m and transforming the local skyline. Massive investments that we’ve secured like this will also be for the benefit of local firms in the supply chain, which means even more money in pockets of local workers. Net zero ambitions and economic regeneration go hand in hand. Work to transform Teesside Airport is also continuing. Not only are we seeing roles for the taking airside at Teesside Airport at places like the recently-returned World Duty Free, or at the new bars, restaurants and shops that we’ve created as part of the terminal redevelopment, but because our Airport is still operational, we’re securing significant investment from firms like Draken, who are set to create up to 30 new high-skilled roles in the defence sector. We’re also capitalising on our land and property assets as the airport enters the next phase of its business plan. Our airport is a fantastic asset and provides people with quick and easy access to holiday destinations, and worldwide connectivity and that’s something we’ll never lose sight of. But it’s an asset that is much bigger than just a terminal building and runway.
It’s location, accessibility, and the hundreds of acres for business and commercial development as part of
Teesside Freeport are unrivalled. That’s why we’re putting plans in to action and ensuring that we Maximise those non-aviation-based opportunities that will provide rental income for the airport, income streams that will grow bigger and bigger as we develop both the Northside and Southside of the site as even more new businesses begin to call it home. This will be a key driver in it returning to profit within the next few years and will support our wider plan. Raising aspirations and creating new opportunities is key to making our region a fantastic place to live and work. In March 2021, the Treasury announced that Darlington was to become home to a new Northern Economic Campus. Since then, 6 more key government departments and agencies have announced plans to move senior Civil Service roles out of Whitehall and up to Darlington. We’re now set to welcome over 1,700 senior Civil Service roles to the region. These aren’t back-office jobs in regional department outposts, they are high-level jobs working at the very heart of Government. Already we’re seeing the Chancellor and senior Government Ministers set up office here in Darlington and we’ve got 110 individuals already in post, 80% of which are local recruits. Creating new opportunities for local people is at the heart of all the developments we’re pushing forward, from the airport to the Freeport.
This year we’ll see transformation across every part of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. It’s after years of hard work to secure investment and put Teesside on the map that we’re seeing tangible progress on construction and towards thousands of good-quality, well-paid jobs.
