Trio appointed to drive regeneration plans

A trio of senior appointments will drive forward regeneration efforts in the Tees Valley.

Three new chairs have been named to oversee Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and South Tees Development Corporations, with the goal of accelerating investment, infrastructure and jobs across the region. 

Mark Robinson, a retail and regeneration specialist, will chair the Hartlepool board, with former Middlesbrough Council chief executive Tony Parkinson leading in Middlesbrough. 

David Smith, previously chief executive of the Energy Networks Association, takes on the South Tees role.

Each will serve a four-year term, with a salary of £15,120 per year.

Councillor Brenda Harrison, Hartlepool Borough Council leader; Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke; and councillor Alec Brown, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council leader, have separately been appointed as vice-chairs of the boards in their respective boroughs.

Meanwhile, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen will step down from all three boards in line with updated Government guidance on Mayoral Development Corporation oversight.

Mayor Houchen said: “Our region is leading the UK in developing the world-class regeneration projects that are delivering highly skilled, well-paid jobs – and our Development Corporations are at the very heart of this.

“Ensuring we have the best people to lead our Development Corporations to the next level is essential. 

“These three individuals are outstanding professionals with the drive, huge experience and extensive local knowledge to supercharge our ambitions.”

The three Development Corporations play a vital role in reshaping the Tees Valley. 

Hartlepool and Middlesbrough are focused on revitalising town centres, attracting businesses and delivering quality homes to create thriving urban communities. 

South Tees, meanwhile, is leading the transformation of the 4500-acre former Redcar steelworks site – now known as Teesworks – into a hub for clean industry, with major projects including SeAH Wind and Net Zero Teesside already generating significant private investment and thousands of skilled jobs.

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