Teesside: A Blueprint for Connectivity

Posted by Colliers on 19th March 2024 -

Whilst a significant amount of attention has been given to the various disappointments around HS2, the reality is that the North East has been busy progressing its connectivity through other schemes. 

Nowhere is this more the case than in Teesside - one of the fastest growing regional economies in the UK which is attracting global attention and investment as a centre for hydrogen production, the development of alternative fuels, green-energy, and advanced manufacturing.

At Teesside International Airport, plans to build a new railway station were recently announced, reinforcing Teesside International’s status as a growing regional airport. This news follows construction of a new access road connecting the A67 to the airport’s new 270-acre Business Park South, which in turn can offer direct airside access to the airstrip.

This focus on connectivity is well warranted, and backed up by the fact that Teesside International Airport was named UK and Irish Airport of the Year at the TTG Travel Industry Awards. The airport has also recorded the biggest recovery of any UK airport after seeing passenger numbers soar by 96 percent since 2019 – particularly impressive given the impact the pandemic had on the aviation industry. 

Access by land, air and sea

Looking at the wider area, Teesworks is not only the largest brownfield development site in the region, but in Western Europe - a 4,500 acre behemoth on the site of a former steelworks. Here connectivity is crucial not just for the workforce but also for occupiers’ operations.

The development, which is within the Teesside Freeport, already benefited from direct port access via Teesport and Redcar Bulk Terminal, and, with funding from the UK Infrastructure Bank, a further one-kilometre quay is under development at the site. The new South Bank Quay has been developed specifically to serve the offshore wind industry – components too large to be transported across land can be moved directly from the factory onto ships. The quay will serve SeAH Wind’s one million sq ft monopile factory under construction at Teesworks.

The new quay, together with Teesworks’ direct passenger and freight rail connections traversing the site (including two directly accessed passenger stations), and excellent road connections makes it truly multi-modal and one of the best-connected industrial zones in the UK.

Importance of infrastructure

It is not just connectivity through road, rail, sea and air that are important to occupiers, utility infrastructure is crucial. Teesworks has the UK’s largest private wire network and has water, gas and waste treatment provision on site to support the heaviest of industrial and green-energy occupiers. Up to 325MVA power is currently available on site with significant upgrades in the pipeline.

These developments form part of a broader picture across the Teesside region; a £1billion investment programme is underway to support further enhancement of local road and rail facilities and the creation of new electric trackless tram services. Placing connectivity at the heart of development planning has been, and continues to be, instrumental in Teesside’s industrial renaissance and provides a blueprint for continued growth, and for other regions and developments going forward.

Both Teesworks and Teesside International Airport are well connected for occupiers and their workforces, and connectivity is at the heart of plans going forward. 

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