Andy Preston throws down gauntlet to new mayor
NEWS
Middlesbrough ’ s momentum
Andy Preston throws down gauntlet to new mayor
Andy Preston believes that he ’ s left Middlesbrough with “ a new sense of ambition ” after his headlinegrabbing four-year stay as the town ’ s elected mayor came to an end .
As the founder of local charities CEO Sleepout and The Teesside Charity , Middlesbrough-born Andy swept to power with a landslide election victory in 2019 but surprisingly lost to Labour in the recent election .
But he believes the town has made huge progress despite the challenges of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis coinciding with his mayoral term .
Reflecting on his four-year term , he says : “ That ’ s not a lot of time to get stuff done from scratch . When you factor in that that we had Covid for two years , it ’ s even less .
“ Despite that , there ’ s now a new spirit of optimism and sense of ambition where Middlesbrough creates more businesses per head than anywhere else in the North- East including Newcastle and where the town has been identified as a European investment hotspot .”
“ But ,” he adds , “ We don ’ t just need to talk about the sense of ambition . Real things are happening - such as Boho X , the best office space for many miles around with a globally successful business signed up and moving in .”
And he adds : “ I ’ m proud to say that other buildings that were commenced both before and after I was elected are also being filled with fast-growing businesses as their tenants .”
He cites “ further physical evidence of positive change ” as previously derelict areas in the centre of town being rebuilt , including Gresham and St Hilda ’ s .
Another major change is on the horizon , subject to government approval , with Andy saying : “ In its 700-year history , the world ’ s most famous school , Eton , has only ever worked from within the shadows of Windsor Castle . It ’ s telling
Reflections – Andy Preston says Middlesbrough made huge progress during his four years as mayor .
that its chosen destination for expanding beyond its historic base is Middlesbrough , with plans to open a ground-breaking sixth form college offering aspects of the best education in the world to Teesside ’ s brightest boys and girls , especially those from more challenging backgrounds – and it ’ ll all be free of charge !
“ At a level that ’ s more fundamental to Teesside ’ s challenges , Middlesbrough now leads the way as the only place in the country to run a declared hungerfree policy where emergency food was available to anyone in genuine need , seven days a week with food parcels being delivered within an hour up to 10pm .”
Asked about ongoing concerns around crime , he answers : “ Of course , crime is still too high in certain hotspots but a massive investment in security cameras across the town and hard work by police and council staff has led to Middlesbrough being the only borough in the region to see a meaningful fall in crime over the last four years .”
Many are yet to be convinced about a positive future for the town centre , with local and leading high street brands closing or moving out – but the former mayor believes better days are ahead via a reinvented town centre offering .
“ The future of places like Middlesbrough is clearly not traditional retail ,” he says . “ It ’ s about an exciting and vibrant centre where people live , work and go to be entertained . The impending arrival of attractions such as STACK , new leisure facilities and a boutique cinema in the Captain Cook Square entertainment zone plus even more quality town centre homes and well paid jobs means Middlesbrough is already starting to lead the way .
“ I accept that it will take time to change perceptions among some people , but an expression of local investor confidence is there for everyone to see in our booming independent restaurant scene with new venues opening all the time .”
He adds : “ The challenge now is for Labour to pick up the mantle and build on the progress we ’ ve achieved . There are huge opportunities for Middlesbrough in the months and years ahead – and its essential we maintain the momentum .”
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