Teesside’s transformation gets royal approval

Teesside welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they toured key sites driving the region’s regeneration and investment.

After touching down at Teesside International Airport, the King visited Teesworks, where he saw progress on the £950 million SeAH Wind monopile factory, set to be the world’s largest of its kind. 

Nearly nine years after visiting the former SSI steelworks site in the wake of its closure, he met apprentices forging careers in the renewables sector.

Since then, 400 acres have been remediated and major projects, including SeAH Wind, bp-led Net Zero Teesside and Steel River Quay, at South Bank, are set to create thousands of jobs and position Teesside as a leader in offshore wind manufacturing.

Martin Corney, chief executive of Teesworks Ltd, said: “We were thrilled that the King was able to visit Teesworks and see for himself the incredible progress which has been made in transforming the site into an internationally significant clean energy hub.

“Things have changed an awful lot since the King was last here and not just in terms of the site itself – speaking to the apprentices on site, the King was able to hear at first-hand how Teesworks and developments like SeAH Wind are creating brighter futures for the people of this area.”

The royal couple also visited Middlesbrough, marking the first time a sitting monarch has been to the town since 1993.

The Middlesbrough Development Corporation (MDC) is working with Teesside University and businesses to attract investment and drive urban renewal, with their regeneration of Gresham a prime example. 

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, who is also chair of the MDC, added: “It’s a great honour and a privilege to welcome His Royal Highness through our airport to our mighty region.

“We’ve made huge strides across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool since his last visit.

“We hit a new low when the steelworks shut in 2016, but from the work we've done to revive our former steelworks as a powerhouse for thousands of good well-paid jobs, to the huge efforts we're taking to turn around our airport and help it grow and thrive through more flights, it’s wonderful to show our King how far we’ve come.

“Today is a proud day for Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.”

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