The Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Council, Tony Parkinson, has spoken to delegates at a Built Environment Networking event about the local authority’s investment prospectus, which aims to create £625m of inward investment – with one of the key priorities being the physical regeneration of Middlesbrough town centre.
He said: “This is not just about creating new buildings, it’s about changing the narrative around Middlesbrough. It saddens me that Middlesbrough is a good place to come on a bad news day. We are going to change that narrative and create some positivity.”
Parkinson also spoke about the council’s plans to create a major leisure and housing hub in Middlehaven, after the local authority acquired most of the land from Homes England.
One of the other key developments, according to Tony Parkinson, will be the 210,000 Centre Square, which will become the ‘premier office location between Newcastle and Leeds’.
Mark Ashall, Director at Ashall Projects who’re behind the said Centre Square development, was also in attendance speaking about the scheme. He said planning permission has now been granted for five buildings on the site.
Two of those buildings are currently being built as part of the first phase of development, including one which will be the new headquarters of Middlesbrough Council.
Of the development he said: “We believe Centre Square addresses the lack of Grade A office space in Middlesbrough and will create a new office hub and a motor to drive the local economy.”
The development sits close to Teesside University and Middlesbrough College – helping employers source qualified staff and training. It will also boast a high-quality public realm whilst ensuring it’s at the heat of the local transport network for easy connectivity to the surrounding area.
The event’s final speaker, Stephen Brown, spoke about the ongoing work around the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park (TeesAMP) which is expected to bring 1,000 jobs into the region.
The project, now fully funding, is entering its first phase which will see 180,000 sq ft of units being built. Full planning consent has been granted for the phase meaning the first buildings should be up by the Summer of 2019 – with everything completed by the end of next year.
To find out more about future events focused on the Tees Valley region visit the Built Environment Networking website
