Serving the Teesside Business Community | 69
/ MIDDLESBROUGH NEWS
MAYOR SIGNS OFF STEEL
PROJECT
Middlesbrough
mayor Dave
Budd and Finley
Structures managing
director John
Finley (right) with
Finley estimating
manager Andrew
Workman and senior
production controller
Phil Metcalfe.
#TalkingUpTeesside
£2m land deal boost
for Student Village
M
iddlesbrough mayor Dave
Budd signed his name
into a landmark project
which signifies the start of its steel
production.
The town’s elected mayor visited
Finley Structures in Newton Aycliffe
after the family-run construction
firm won a contract to fabricate
and erect the steel for the new
Centre Square development in
Middlesbrough.
The 210,000-sq ft scheme,
which is being delivered by Ashall
Projects, will create a 21st century
business destination in the heart
of Middlesbrough with Grade A
offices.
Preparatory works began on the
site in August and main contractor
Bowmer and Kirkland awarded
Finley Structures the steel contract.
The Aycliffe firm – which built the
steel frame for Hitachi Rail Europe’s
new facility in Aycliffe as well as
factories for Nissan and Unipress in
Washington and Nifco in Eaglescliffe
– has started fabricating 685 tonnes
of steel, which will make up two
structures (one 465 tonnes an d the
other 220 tonnes).
Finley Structures expect to erect
the steel by October – the whole
Centre Square development is
expected to take 14 months to
complete.
• Ashall Projects has agreed a
deal with M&G Investments to
fund the delivery of the first phase
of its Centre Square project in
Middlesbrough.
Leading investment manager
M&G has agreed to provide over
£22m for the acquisition of a long
leasehold interest in the site and to
forward fund the development.
Middlesbrough was listed as one of 16
booming “digital suburbs and tech towns” in
an influential recent report, Tech Nation 2018.
The number of digital tech jobs grew by almost
20% to nearly 7,200 in Middlesbrough between
2016 and 2017, with a total business turnover of
nearly £190m.
Plans approved for jobs
creating TeesAMP
Plans to develop a multi-million pound advanced
manufacturing park in the Tees Valley have
taken another step forward.
Middlesbrough Council’s Planning and
Development Committee approved ambitious
plans for the 11-hectare TeesAMP advanced
manufacturing park development – designed to
attract businesses with high value jobs.
The first high specification units – designed
to be adaptable for advanced manufacturers –
will be ready for occupation from Spring 2019.
Middlesbrough’s city centre regeneration
has take another giant leap forward as
the council agreed to sell parts of the
Gresham area to make way for a modern
student village.
Middlesbrough Council’s executive
agreed to the disposal of land at a
meeting, to allow Teesside University to
create a modern 21st century student
village on the site.
A report, put before leading councillors
and mayor Dave Budd at a special
meeting, also recommend bringing
forward housing development on the rest
of the site in two phases.
ALBERT ROAD SET FOR
TRANSFORMATION
A rundown area
of Middlesbrough
is being brought
back to life by
local regeneration
specialists
Jomast and
Middlesbrough
Council.
Albert Road, which is a main thoroughfare
in the town, runs from Middlesbrough railway
station to Centre Square and Teesside University.
The once bustling commercial district is now
benefiting from significant regeneration to
reinvigorate the area into a vibrant new business
community known as Albert North.
Made up of a collection of eclectic buildings,
Albert North will boast a number of modern
studios and offices for small-to-large businesses,
as well as food and drink outlets and city living
apartments.
MAYOR OPENS
NEW £200K TENNIS
WORLD FACILITIES
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen served up
a winner when he marked the start of the
British Open at Wimbledon by unveiling
the first phase of a £200,000 investment
in Tennis World, Middlesbrough.
The investment in new indoor and
outdoor courts together with LED lighting
is the first phase of what will comprise the
biggest project since Teesside’s biggest
independent tennis club opened in 1986.