Serving the Teesside Business Community | 47
READY FOR TAKE-OFF
Middlesbrough Council
deputy mayor Charlie
Rooney and Redcar
Council leader Sue
Jeffrey both backed
Durham Tees Valley
Airport’s new campaign
By Martin Walker
B
usinesses across the region have
been told they can play a vital role in
joining with Peel Airports to secure
the long-term future of Durham Tees
Valley Airport.
Airport chairman Robert Hough briefed
local companies on the progress being
made in delivering the ‘Master Plan’ as its
new £250,000 terminal improvements were
revealed.
Mr Hough also revealed Peel has invested
£38m in the airport to cover vast losses
to date – but that it remains committed to
securing its long-term future.
Delivery of the Master Plan, launched
in 2014, is now being phased to 2020 and
beyond and is aimed at creating 3,800 new
jobs, plus a further 450 full-time jobs during
its construction phases, and it’s claimed will
add more than £348m GVA to the regional
economy.
Other development proposals include
a mixture of office and residential with
associated community facilities and an
extension to the on-site St George’s Hotel.
Jeffrey told Tees Business: “We’ve been
waiting a long time for Peel’s planning
permission to be confirmed. It means
Peel can move forward and deliver on the
Tees businesses urged to back airport’s
‘Flying for the Future’ campaign
investment plans put forward.
“The whole purpose was to ensure Peel
could invest and crucial to that was the
ability to develop housing on the site. That
money will enable Peel to invest further and
we’re now at a point where we can show
as a region that we’re committed to the
development of the airport going forward.
“It’s about how we use the airport as a
business hub. It’s an area that should attract
investment and enable us to sell the area.
Rooney added: “We need the presence of
a regional airport and a message to the world
that Teesside is open for business.
“The main thrust of the airport now is
business use – holiday flights may follow
later – but right now we need businesses to
help it develop and move forward.”
Amid the airport’s concerted efforts to
instil confidence, Tees Valley Mayor Ben
Houchen reiterated his pledge to take it back
into public ownership.
Houchen, who made buying back the
airport one of his major pledges during his
successful Mayoral campaign earlier this
year, said he was due to meet with Peel
again – insisting everything “has a price”.
“I was elected to buy our airport, and that
is what I’ll do,” said the mayor.
Tees airport chairman Robert Hough briefed
local companies on the progress being made in
delivering the ‘Master Plan’ as its new £250,000
terminal improvements were reveale