Member Article

Tees Valley bucks national trend

The Tees Valley economy is forging ahead, in stark contrast to the picture painted for the national economy, according to a senior business figure. Martyn Pellew, chairman of the North East Chamber of Commerce Tees Valley committee, added that a raft of projects such as those being undertaken or planned by the likes of Sonhoe and Cleveland Potash would see the region in good health for many years to come.

The development director for PD Ports told more than 80 attendees at NECC’s Tees Valley annual meeting that there was a feelgood factor among businesses in the region that was at odds with reports nationally that the economy was struggling.

Mr Pellew said: “We are in a successful region. In the Tees Valley, we have an awful lot to offer and very bright prospects. “We are a lot more upbeat in the North East at this time than in most other regions and there is a lot of hard work going in from people in the business community.”

Keynote speaker Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, said: “It is important that we flag up successes in the region. “£3.5bn is spent by public sector groups in this region each year but only 45% is spent in this region. That’s not good enough. We need to do something about that.”

Mr Pellew had earlier called for the continued need for transport infrastructure improvement across the Tees Valley, saying that a full upgrade to the A66 was essential. He also said that initiatives such as a Metro-style transport system were needed for the south of the region.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .