Having secured a third term as Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen is now rolling out a refreshed blueprint for the south of the region. In a recent interview with North East Times Magazine, Ben outlined the headline elements of his plan, including a new hospital, an investment zone, and further development of Teesside International Airport.
Ben’s key priorities moving forward will be to support SMEs, as well as help to revitalise high streets and progress large-scale projects such as the Teesside Investment Zone, a £160 million government-funded zone that is set to create more than 2000 jobs. Ben is also working on a replacement for Stockton’s University Hospital of North Tees, despite challenges from the Department of Health and Social Care, while his commitment to Teesside International Airport, another of his flagship redevelopment projects, remains unwavering.
In the interview, Ben addresses the criticism he has faced over the Teesworks project, and as the UK’s only Conservative metro-mayor, he also reaffirms his commitment to work with Labour counterparts and collaborate with Kim McGuinness, the newly elected North East mayor.
Read the full Q&A on our sister website North East Times, here: https://netimesmagazine.co.uk/magazine/a-record-of-delivery-a-promise-of-more-ben-houchen/
Photography by Ben Benoliel
