Work is underway to investigate land which could house the £55m Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). The vision will see over 180,000 sq ft of high quality accommodation across ten buildings in its first phase with the potential to create 1,000 new jobs.

Tee Valley is a region with huge potential and there are some exciting plans within the region which could boost housing, jobs and grow the economy – and we’ll be hearing from some of the key decision makers and public and private sector leaders at the Tees Valley Development Plans Conference next month which will be held in Middlesbrough.

The investigative work will focus on the ground conditions which may have been affected by the closeness of the rive Tees and the site’s previous industrial use.

Property developers Geoff Hogg, one of the people behind the plans, explained: ”Parts of the site were reclaimed from the river and built up to form level land to build on. There were factory buildings used as the Newport Iron Works and Newport Dry Colour Works as well as railway sidings, off the Darlington and Saltburn Branch so we expect to find remnants of that bygone industrial era. One of the legacy materials is slag left over from the steel making process. It’s likely that it will be excavated, broken up and mixed with other materials so that is can be reused. Levels for the site will be designed so that the amount of material to be removed from the site will be minimised – saving many hundreds of wagon trips. We want the build to be as sustainable as possible and this will be a great start.”

Middlesbrough Council are one of those heavily backing the project, and they’ve invested around £12.5m into the scheme whilst also giving the green light back in December 2018. Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for City Centre Strategy, Cllr Charlie Rooney, said: ”This is the latest important stage in the creation of a major new addition to Middlesbrough’s economy, and that of the whole Tees Valley. Tees AMP is a development of national significance that will deliver long lasting benefits in terms of jobs, skills, prosperity and further investment. It’s great to see such a forward thinking project gather momentum, and it’s a clear indication of the ambition we have for the future.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen added: ”We have already invested £7.6m into this site for remediation and infrastructure works, and the current investigation is another step forward in making these exciting plans a reality. When completed, this development will be a further boost to jobs and growth and will draw new and innovative businesses to our area.”

Richard Brown of Dodds Brown, the agents marketing the site, said: ”There is a national shortage of high quality buildings for manufacturing businesses and the Tees AMP will change that, whilst attracting great firms and the jobs they bring to the area.”

Make sure you’re involved in the regional discussion and be at the forefront of the Tees Valley industry by attending the Tees Valley Development Plans Conference. Speakers include Muse Developments, Redcar & Cleveland Council, Darlington Borough Council, Tees Valley Combined Authority, PD Ports, South Tees Development Corporation and The Department for International Trade.