KEY PLANS SUBMITTED
FOR FORMER SSI SITE
Ben Houchen has submitted a planning
application to Redcar and Cleveland
Council that will spearhead the
redevelopment of a key piece of land at the
former SSI steelworks site.
The plans will see a new roundabout and
road access created for the Grangetown
Prairie site – a 150-acre area that is one of
the first sections of land to be developed.
The development of the new road will
also include important improvements to the
existing Eston Road.
Mayor Houchen had previously
announced Hartlepool-based Seymour
Civil Engineering had been appointed to
start site clearance and preparation work
at the Prairie site, as part of a multi-millionpound
contract, and the firm has also been
contracted to carry out this latest work.
Awarding the contract to the Hartlepool
firm, which is providing jobs for local people,
emphasises mayor Houchen’s commitment
to give businesses in the Tees Valley the
support they need during the coronavirus
pandemic.
The clearance work began less than a
week after the successful outcome of the
compulsory purchase inquiry into the former
SSI steelworks.
The inquiry granted the South Tees
Development Corporation powers to
purchase the former SSI steelworks, along
with a further 112 acres of land, following a
three-year battle.
Eston Road currently provides access into
the South Tees Eco-Park and Freight Park
from the A66 at Grangetown.
As part of the new plans to improve
access to the Grangetown Prairie site,
Eston Road will be widened. Works along
the eastern side of Eston Road will create
dedicated foot and cycleways, as well as a
new four-arm roundabout at the bend in the
road, with two new internal access roads
into the Prairie site.
“We need to do everything we can to
support local businesses during this difficult
time, and there’s no better way of doing
that than giving them work on one of the
biggest regeneration projects in Europe,”
said the Tees mayor.
“I’ve always said this redevelopment will
be about creating good quality, high-skilled
local jobs for local people.”
Rail stations boosted by £11m
government backing
Plans to transform two Tees
railway stations have been given a
government boost after transport
secretary Grant Shapps pledged £11m of
funding to develop both schemes.
The announcement of £8.7m for
Darlington station and £2.45m for
Middlesbrough will help develop proposals
for a package of enhancements.
The Tees Valley mayor and Combined
Authority have also pledged £25m for
work at Darlington, which would see
improvements to the fabric of the station
TEES
Business.
The former SSI site, at 112 acres,
is one of the biggest regeneration
projects in Europe.
including improved entrances and the
regeneration of the wider area.
Mayor Ben Houchen revealed that
work on the £35m plan to redevelop
Middlesbrough station could begin in the
autumn, following a £22.5m pledge from
the mayor and Combined Authority and the
submission of its outline business case.
The new funding follows a budget
commitment by chancellor Rishi Sunak to
provide £80m for the redevelopment of
Darlington station.
PD Ports and Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen are
leading a campaign to bring a freeport to Teesside – a
tariff-free business zone that the mayor believes could
create 32,000 jobs over the next 25 years.
#TalkingUpTeesside #TalkingUpTeesValley
BUSINESS BITES
NEWS
px IN GROWTH LIST
Energy and industrial solutions
firm px Group has been named as
one of Britain’s fastest-growing
companies.
The Stockton-based firm was
ranked as the 53rd fastestgrowing
business in Britain by The
Sunday Times Profit Track, which
recognises UK private companies
across all business sectors with the
fastest-growing profits.
Profits at px Group have risen
by an average of 53 per cent each
year over the past three years to
£6.6m.
SKIP THE TIP
Recycling expert Scott Bros is
urging householders to consider
hiring a skip rather than using a
“man with a van” in a bid to reduce
illegal fly-tipping.
While councils across the Tees
Valley, County Durham and North
Yorkshire have now reopened most
waste recycling centres to the
public, there have been reports
of long queues due to social
distancing measures.
Authorities have reported that
fly-tipping problems have rocketed
during the lockdown.
BOUNCE-BACK HELP
Teesside University is helping
fledgling start-ups bounce back
from the Covid-19 pandemic
through new “re-incubation”
support.
The support is focused on
ensuring early-stage businesses
can quickly and confidently make
the right decisions to ensure they
survive the adverse environment
caused by the lockdown.
Support will initially focus on the
150 alumni who have gone through
the university’s start-up Launchpad
programme before being opened
up more widely.
For more information about
Teesside University’s service to
business visit tees.ac.uk/business.
CBILS LOANS OPEN
Following its accreditation by the
British Business Bank as a lender
under the Coronavirus Business
Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS),
FW Capital is now open to
applications.
The Coronavirus Business
Interruption Loan Scheme is
designed to support the continued
provision of finance to SMEs during
the Covid-19 outbreak.
The scheme enables lenders
to provide facilities of up to £5m
to smaller businesses across the
UK experiencing lost or deferred
revenues that have led to
disruptions to their cash flow.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 9