£2million housing boost for Tees Valley

Tees Valley is set to receive almost £2 million to prepare new sites for housing development after a successful application for Government funding.

Tees Valley Unlimited (TVU) is to start preparatory work on up to 10 sites identified for housing right across the area including Belle Vue in Hartlepool, Greater Eston in Middlesbrough and Mandale in Thornaby, as well as former school sites in Darlington.

The £1.9 million in Growth Point funding will be spent on feasibility studies looking into the need for volume and type of housing, design work and infrastructure, opening up the identified sites for development.

“This funding will support the detailed technical work that is needed to make sites ready for development and ensure they meet local needs,” said Paul Jackson, investment and regeneration manager at the Homes and Communities Agency.

“Our role is to help councils to make things happen in their own areas, and this will make it possible to bring several key schemes forward right across the Tees Valley.”

The funding has been secured through Tees Valley Living, which is currently being integrated into the Tees Valley Unlimited organisation. The Tees Valley is one of 45 areas nationwide to receive a share of Growth Point funding.

“This is excellent news,” said Les Southerton, interim managing director of Tees Valley Unlimited. “It will enable us to carry out vital works which will ultimately lead to future housing development. It’s particularly encouraging at a time when financial support is so hard to come by. As part of this funding we’ll be working with local communities so they have the opportunity to shape future developments.”

The funding will also benefit sites at Easington Road, East Central, Golden Flatts and North Central in Hartlepool; Green Blue Heart in Stockton and Middlesbrough and Grove Hill in Middlesbrough.

Angela Lockwood, Chairman of Tees Valley Living, said: “Growth Point funding plays an integral part in Tees Valley delivering key regeneration schemes. This further boost means we can look at potential sites for housing and what needs to be done to prepare them for development. It’s excellent news for the five boroughs of Tees Valley.”

Tees Valley Unlimited, which worked with local authority partners and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to submit the bid, also plays a leading role in major HCA-backed schemes at Middlehaven in Middlesbrough, Northshore in Stockton and Central Park in Darlington.

The £1.9 million of Growth Point funding - awarded through the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) - will be spent over the next 12 months.