Heathrow bosses visit SSI site to look at case to bring logistics hub to Teesside
Mayor Ben Houchen is also set to fly to Thailand to hold talks with bankers over over attempts to take control of the site
Mike HughesRegional commercial editor
Heathrow Airport in London (Image: Getty Images Europe)
The promise of thousands of jobs for Teesside has come a crucial step closer after a key visit to the region today.
Bosses from Heathrow Airport - where a planned £14bn third runway could mean billions of pounds worth of work and tens of thousands of jobs - met Tees Valley Mayor Houchen at the former SSI site in Redcar, which is in the running to be the site of one of four construction hubs.
Mr Houchen told The Gazette the visit had gone well - and he revealed that he would be flying out to Thailand in just a few days for face-to-face talks with the bankers who are still holding on to large parts of the site and are one of the biggest obstacles to development plans.
Phil Wilbraham, expansion programme director, at Terminal 2 (Image: Daniel Lynch)
Facing long delays from the Thai banks, Mr Houchen said he would be flying out on May 23 to see them himself and press the case for a speedy solution.
He said: "We are making progress and I am very confident - this is a question of when, rather than if - and the CPO (compulsory purchase) process was instigated so that if we can't do a deal with the banks we can get hold of the land anyway.
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"The meeting planned for the 23rd won't necessarily mean we will have the land tomorrow, there will still be plenty of legals and due diligence to go through, but if we can strike that deal we can get on with the investment."
He said the visit from the Heathrow delegation had gone well and they are about to shortlist again with a view to making a final decision on the four hubs by the first quarter of next year.
"We have put our best foot forward and told them about the brilliant work going on at the site and they have seen at an event in Middlesbrough the fantastic supply chain we have got, which will be able to feed into the new runway," he said.
Ben Houchen Conservative Mayor of the Tees Valley (Image: Katie Lunn)
"This is a significant project, because we need to make sure there is sufficient diversity here and an eclectic mix of businesses rather than being over-reliant on one large industry. The £5bn energy plant we have talked about for the site is also very much still on the cards although with the size of these projects there are always niggles that we have to work through and we are working with central Government to make sure it gets what it needs. Timelines can always shift, but I am very confident that we will be able to announce what will be a huge project on the site, which will then start the ball rolling on further investment in the future."
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With Durham Tees Valley Airport named on Flybe's map of new routes they would look to operate from an expanded Heathrow, the airport's programme director Phil Wilbraham, said there could be long-term benefits for the whole region.
He said: "We're delighted to be here in Redcar seeing first-hand the support for the expansion project. Heathrow expansion is a national infrastructure project that will benefit the whole country, including right across the North-east, so it is hugely exciting to have a delegation from Heathrow in the region as part of the latest stage of our nationwide tour of the long-listed hubs locations.
South Tees Development Corporation work (Image: Evening Gazette)
"A new Heathrow runway will unlock up to 5,100 new skilled jobs and underpin up to £5bn in growth from construction through to increased tourism and trade for the North-east and we're looking forward to seeing first-hand what the region has to offer."
A third runway at Heathrow could also ultimately see the return of a service to London from Durham Tees Valley Airport - but not until 2030.
Durham Tees Valley Airport
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