Major plans for a new state-of-the-art manufacturing centre on the banks of the Tees that would create as many as 9,000 jobs have been unveiled.
The South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) has submitted a planning application for the site of the former SSI steelworks in Redcar to create a 4.5 million sqft ‘world-class’ manufacturing centre.
While it has not yet been announced what type of industry the site will be home to, the eight-year construction phase will create around 1,000 jobs – with 9,000 more permanent positions expected to be filled after completion.
Led by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, the large scheme could welcome its first tenants as soon as 2022. The planning application itself comes just three months after Mayor Houchen was successful in securing the former SSI site through a Compulsory Purchase Order.
Speaking about the development, Mayor Houchen said: “This is the biggest planning application in the North of England.
“When I started CPO proceedings against SSI and the three Thai banks, I was clear that we owed it to the former steelworkers and their families to secure the site for the people of Teesside so that we could redevelop it and see jobs return to the side.
“This planning application represents a huge step forward in reaching this goal and represents a modest portion of the site, while creating many thousands of jobs, which shows why this site is so important – not just to Redcar and Cleveland but to the future success of our whole region.
He added: “This game changing proposal represents by far the largest development announced to date for the former SSI steelworks and will see a key part of the site brought back into meaningful use.
“This application is another crucial step forward for my plan for jobs by delivering on the overall Masterplan, which we are now motoring ahead with.”
When the SSI Steelworks plant closed in September 2015, around 3,000 jobs were lost as a result.
*Header image courtesy of Depositphotos