MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Dave Budd has outlined reasons for optimism in 2016 in a New Year address including a call for the town to consider itself a “University City”.
Speaking at a meeting of full Council, Mr Budd said despite the massive funding cuts being imposed on the town by the Government that “Middlesbrough is not and must not be, defined by its deprivation”.
He said the creation of a combined authority and devolution would go some way to help build a vibrant city region by allowing decisions to be made on Teesside rather than 250 miles away.
The Mayor also pointed to examples of developments that have or will lead to more people both wanting to live in and visit Middlesbrough.
He said: “Middlesbrough ‘city’ centre is vital to us and to our neighbours. We have already seen expansion in hotel facilities with more to come. Our restaurant offer is expanding and improving and there is more to come.
“The University is massively important to us. Each improvement has a beneficial effect for all of us in terms of accommodation and jobs. More graduates are staying here creating businesses and adding to the vibrancy of our ‘university city’.
“You will be aware that a snow centre is a possibility which would add enormously to visitor numbers, the new dock bridge is an example of how infrastructure spending can aid development, Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park is developing, housing numbers are at record levels – people want to live here.
“The Tour de Yorkshire will highlight Middlesbrough in a unique way, long needed improvements to rail services are on the way and we will have a Premier League football team by May, at the very latest.”
He added: “What can councillors do? You can sell the ‘university city’ of Middlesbrough and its future whenever you can both to internal and external audiences. You can help join the jobs and opportunities being created to those people in your wards who need them.
“Tell the staff in schools where you are governors that there is a future here and work with young people to support aspiration.
“Middlesbrough is not and must not be, defined by its deprivation. We must be defined by what we can and will do, not what we can’t do.
“We can all, with justification, complain about the treatment meted out by the Government, but that must not hold us back.
“We all have a part to play and I hope that we can all agree to creating and preaching an optimistic and realistic view of Middlesbrough’s future.”