Middlesbrough town centre transformation aims to attract up to 4,000 new jobs

The “bright new vision” for Middlesbrough’s future has today (July 19) been signed off by the town’s Development Corporation Board.

During its meeting, the Board was asked to approve the Masterplan for the Middlesbrough Development Corporation, which aims to make the area “Bold, Industrious & Open for Business; Middlesbrough, reinvented as a great place for everyone.”

Created with stakeholders and partners, it sets out its plans to target the key areas of Gresham, the town centre, the area around Middlesbrough station and Middlehaven and St Hilda’s to:

• Build 1,500 new homes
• Attract up to 4,000 new jobs
• Create a Middlesbrough “to be proud of”, with better streets, spaces and places where people want to spend time
• Put skills, learning and innovation at the heart of the town.

It will capitalise on the town’s existing assets such as Teesside University, the Boho zone, Middlesbrough Station, the Northern School of Art, Centre square and others to tie them together more closely and help them work in lock-step to drive transformation.

The backing for the plan comes just weeks after the Development Corporation took on powers over planning for applications which sit within its zone, allowing the Corporations to cut red tape and drive investment while retaining safeguards over future developments.

It also follows Hartlepool Development Corporation throwing its weight behind plans for its town Masterplan in May.

The Middlesbrough Development Corporation Board is chaired by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and made up of independent representatives from the private and public sectors, including Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and former Sabic UK and Tees Valley Local Enterprise Chair Paul Booth CBE.

Mayor Houchen commented: “There’s one thing that unites everyone on this Board – and it’s that we all want to see Middlesbrough succeed, reach its potential and be the absolute best it can be.

“After months of tireless work in the background, plus consultations, discussion and planning, we’re now at a point where the talking can stop and the doing can begin. We’ve put in place a clear path for both Middlesbrough and Hartlepool which set out our priorities, our targets and how we’re going to get there.

“From recognising the fantastic assets we have on our doorstep – like Teesside University and our ever-growing digital cluster – to attracting new leisure opportunities and businesses, we’ll be able to go further, faster in making Middlesbrough better, safer and more attractive.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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