The North has held the longstanding stigma that its people and communities are friendly, hardworking and robust, but our economic performance has been behind other regions. In recent years our local authorities have certainly stepped up to the mark and have been pioneering change as serious investment, regeneration and development continues to roll out across the North, with Teesside certainly hitting the headlines for its heightened activity.
The ambitious Tees Valley Investment Plan outlines how £1.2billion will be spent on business growth, transport, culture, and job creation by 2029. Recent news like this from the Tees Valley Combined Authority has catapulted the area into the spotlight, however, a steady foundation for this process started when The Tees Valley Combined Authority was established back in 2016 with the purpose to drive economic growth and job creation in the area. A partnership of five authorities; Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees, was formed with the aim to work in partnership with the Local Enterprise Partnership, wider business community and other partners to make local decisions to support the expanding economy. In 2017, the people of the Tees Valley elected their first Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, who continues to chair the Combined Authority. These steps seemingly became a catalyst for the steady growth in activity in the area for commercial sectors including transport, construction, engineering, energy, education and trade.
Teeside’s recent commercial and residential redevelopment activity and the heightened publicity which has followed suggests that the Tees Valley Combined Authority could arguably gain a reputation as the poster child for the topical ‘levelling up’ drive from the government. The obvious work which is going into raising the profile of business opportunity in the region will undoubtedly reap the rewards of further significant investment, which will underpin a transformed built environment, better infrastructure and connectivity.
One of the key elements in the levelling up agenda is certainly transport, with many of the North East’s local authorities improving this key element of infrastructure, but it is important not only to think about public transport, but also to consider how the professional services industries and its vast amount of clients rely on city centre parking options. It is incredibly important for businesses people, especially those working in the professional services industries to be able to get to and from meetings efficiently. Pedestrianising city centres and especially central business districts leads to more travel time and lower productivity for those who occupy those spaces. Equally, maintaining convenient parking for shoppers in city centres will also encourage more trade. Our city centres need to ensure that it is convenient for our local people to be able to conveniently visit our local retailers to pickup all types of goods, from small to large. Many are now in the habit of using the convenience of amazon, a cycle which must be broken to keep our high streets alive. Sunderland City Council is leading the way on this, with parking options playing a key part in its redevelopment of the city centre – and I hope to see Teesside follow suit to encourage professional services industries to occupy its business hubs.
It’s also positive to see Wynyard Business Park, operated by Northumberland Estates, leading the way in attracting global giants such as Amazon will establish a logistics centre in Wynyard, creating 3,000 good quality jobs. The proposed facility will be two million sq ft and will act as a huge investment in the area creating jobs, covering everything from fulfilment staff to HR to finance, business, IT support and engineering.
The recent news of the Teesside Freeport creating more than 18,000 jobs and £3.2 billion boost to the local economy over the next five years supports its ambitious campaign. The Freeport will cover 4,500 acres, the equivalent to 2,550 football pitches, and will be the largest in the in the UK. Teesside was one of only eight chosen from a shortlist of eighteen applicant areas in England bid to become a Freeport. One of the most important considerations, according to the government, was how a Freeport could bring economic opportunities to poorer regions and ‘level up’ the country.
The Freeport will give a boost to the Teesside area through enhancing trade and investments across the UK, boosting the amount of high skilled jobs in the area, as well as increasing innovation and productivity in port regions. Areas given Freeport status within the region will promote a great deal of redevelopment and regeneration across a range of industries in Teesside. Chancellor Rishi Sunak commented on the future of the region; “I see old industrial sites being used to capture and store carbon, vaccines being manufactured, offshore wind turbines creating clean energy for the rest of the country. I see people optimistic an ambitious for their future. That is the future economy of this country.”
In wider transport news, Teesside has seized the opportunity to expand its links to bolster its connection to other influential areas across the UK, especially with the international connectivity opportunities which better links to the capital will bring. Loganair has added an extra service from Teesside International Airport to London Heathrow, ensuring that three flights follow the route daily. The commercial officer at Loganair, Kay Ryan commented on the expansion: “There is no doubt that this service will provide the timing necessary to support the business growth the area is experiencing, now and in the future”.
Rail transport has received increased interest and plans for development in recent years. A proposal has been submitted for the redevelopment of Darlington Station, this will improve the frequency and reliability of services as well as connectivity along the East Coast Main Line and to other regional stations. The £100million redevelopment will pave the way for a new platform, entrance, station building and upgrades to its transport links. Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley commented; “We took a major step closer to our vision, with the submission of the planning application for the station which, when complete, will give people from across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool the more reliable, frequent and faster services that they’ve been crying out for – and that they deserve.”
To support the Net Zero Teesside campaign, Teesside has enhanced its dedication towards the clean energy industry and has been backed by the government for these proposals. Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry has affirmed that the government is committed to ensuring clean growth is a prominent part of Teesside’s economic plan, with hope for further progress in areas such as carbon, capture usage and storage, district heating and the hydrogen economy. These strides towards a cleaner Teesside also involve the introduction of 25,000 new jobs and over £1 billion of investment across a 10-year period. Business Minister Richard Harrison also noted the government’s commitment to steelmaking regions across the UK and the importance of putting the sector at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy.
Following in the footsteps of major cities, the dedication to developing Teeside’s educational facilities has also took a front seat. In January 2021 ESH Construction completed the task of converting a Grade II listed building on behalf of Teesside University. The refurbishment of the 129-year-old building which will support Teesside University students, graduates, and staff to start and grow new businesses across the region. The £1.7 million renovation of the Victorian Building is a central focus for the to the Teesside University’s goal to create more opportunities and grow the local economy.
Not only will this refurbishment reinvigorate the economy of Teesside, but it will similarly allow for further growth for the university and the education sector in the region. Teesside University has also recently lodged plans for a three-storey, cutting edge Net Zero research centre on land near the £55m Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park, in Middlesbrough, showcasing the impact which higher educational bodies can have on local economic development.
There’s still much to be established in regard to how we level up but with more and more news coming from Teesside, we’re incredibly eager to see the regeneration and development of this emerging hub of opportunity.
For more information head to www.bradleyhall.co.uk
