Middlesbrough’s booming digital sector workers are being given a sneak preview of the latest advance in the Boho developments.

The proposed Boho 8 has been unveiled by designers Seymour Architecture ahead of a planning application being lodged later this week.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston has declared his intention to make Middlesbrough the digital city of the UK.

Boho 8 is a £2.5m development of modular units which will create flexible, adaptable accommodation for the changing needs of a dynamic digital and creative industry.

The location of the site is directly behind Boho 1 and manufacture of the units is scheduled to commence in early March 2020. The site works will follow in June and operations on site will only take ten weeks with completion at the end of August 2020.

It will precede the towering Boho 10 development which will include three skyscrapers and be the first phase of a £250m project that would lead to the creation of 2,000 new jobs.

Middlesbrough Council is responsible for the project which is being funded by Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.

Alongside businesses currently based in Boho office spaces Middlesbrough Mayor Mr Preston was also shown the plans and scale model for Boho 8.

He said: “I will keep saying it – my mission and my purpose on this planet is to make Middlesbrough the digital city of the UK.

“We have great businesses here already, a university specialising in the area and pumping out graduates with amazing ability who can create a UK Silicon Valley here in the Boro.

“Boho 8 is going to be a really important part of that transition from what we are today and the ‘Digital Hercules’ we are going to become.

“The design looks great and I can’t wait to see the spades going into the ground.”

Andrew Bowkett, Director of Seymour Architecture, said: “I think from our point of view we wanted to try and develop a site that paid as much attention to external public realm as the building itself and we wanted to create a sense of space and journey through the site

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “”It’s great to see Andy’s plans for Boho 8 moving forward at pace and the world-class digital businesses in the area can now get an up close preview of the architect’s vision.

“Andy and Middlesbrough Council already have the money in the bank, planning is going in and I’m delighted to be supporting the ambitions for this transformational project, which will bring more well-paid, high-quality jobs to the town and wider Tees Valley.”