MIDDLESBROUGH’S major investment plans and city centre ambitions are being given extra focus under Mayor Dave Budd’s Executive team.
Earlier this year Middlesbrough Council unveiled its first ever Investment Prospectus which details the authority’s plans to bring more than £600m of inward investment from the private sector and other parts of the public sector.
The Council itself has committed to investing £74m to act as a catalyst for the programme which aims to see Middlesbrough as the city centre of the Tees Valley and create 5,000 new jobs in the region.
Among the exciting changes set to be seen soon in Middlesbrough are the snow centre at Middlehaven, the creation of five new Grade A office blocks to the east of Centre Square, the major refurbishment of the Town Hall and the renovation of Centre North East as well as many others.
To spearhead the programme Middlesbrough’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Charlie Rooney has been appointed as Executive Member for City Centre Strategy to provide strategic oversight with a main focus on projects including Teesside Media and Innovation Village, Centre Square, Middlehaven, the University Quarter and Historic Quarter.
Cllr Lewis Young becomes Executive Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure.
Mayor Budd’s Executive team and their portfolios is now as follows:
- Cllr Charlie Rooney – Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for City Centre Strategy.
- Cllr Julia Rostron – Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health.
- Cllr Mike Carr – Executive Member for Children’s Services.
- Cllr Mick Thompson – Executive Member for Culture and Communities.
- Cllr Lewis Young – Executive Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure.
- Cllr Jan Brunton – Executive Member for Education and Skills.
- Cllr Tracy Harvey – Executive Member for Environment and Commercial Services.
- Cllr Nicky Walker – Executive Member for Finance and Governance.
Mayor Budd said: “Middlesbrough is undoubtedly undergoing one of the most exciting phases in memory and some of the changes we are already seeing and about to see will propel us towards our ambitions as a city centre.
“This is how we need to start seeing ourselves – not as a town of 140,000 people, but as the city centre of the Tees Valley region of 750,000 people – and it is right that we give it the focus it deserves with the Executive portfolios.”