£25million bid submitted for Thornaby Towns Fund in next step towards Government funding

The application for up to £25 million of regeneration funding will enable new development and investment across Thornaby, as a result of the work of the Town Deal Board, which is made up a range of public and private sector bodies who represent the interests of the town.

The Town Deal Board have been working on the Town Investment Plan since February and are now ready to submit the plan which identifies four key priorities to address as part of the bid:

• Tackle vacant properties in the town centre to enable new development and change of use.
• Support to enhance the delivery of skills training for Thornaby residents.
• New cycle and footpath infrastructure linking key assets across Thornaby
• Seek opportunities to address areas of poor quality housing in North Thornaby.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "The submission of the Thornaby Town Investment Plan is the next step in securing the funding to kick off our innovative proposals to give the town the facilities it needs to thrive.

"This is a unique opportunity for us to use this funding to make significant changes in Thornaby and is part of our strategy to create a sustainable future for all six towns in the Borough."

Mark White OBE DL, Town Deal Board Chair and Chair of Governors, Education Training Collective, said: "With this funding, there will be long lasting benefits to key parts of the town, not just from an economic point of view but in terms of creating better quality housing, supporting the development of new infrastructure and enabling better skills training facilities meaning we can build a better future for all in Thornaby.

"It's been a delight to work with a wide range of members on the Board who all have a common interest in the future success of the town and we will work hard to lobby Government to secure this final funding."

Thornaby is one of 100 towns across the country which was invited to develop proposals for a Town Deal in 2019 as part of the £3.5 billion Towns Fund.

The funding provided is intended to help to increase economic growth, with a focus on regeneration, improved transport, better broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

It is one of five towns in the Tees Valley that is able to bid for the funding, meaning Tees Valley will receive more allocations than any other City Region in the UK.

In early 2020, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council began a consultation on future developments of the town centres and high streets, pledging to lead a fightback across the Borough's six town centres and help them thrive.