A centre for care and health innovation

We are transforming Teesdale Business Park and the Marshalling Yards into the 'Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone'. 

There are recognised health inequalities in Stockton-on-Tees. This area will address these and be connected to our thriving town centre. It will provide flexible and dynamic business networks, great homes for people of all ages, and spaces to help an innovative and nationally renowned care cluster at the front of UK innovation. 

Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone (TVCHIZ) vision 

The vision for the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone is: 

• to make the most of land across the whole of North Thornaby, making the most of its location to create jobs, homes and increase access to skills for the town, region and country 
• to link the Tees Marshalling Yards and make the most of its future 
• to stitch, link and make opportunities for innovative care and health to happen 
• to make North Thornaby connect better to Stockton town centre, the remainder of Thornaby and the wider Tees area 

The Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone will provide health and care facilities to support our residents' needs. This will nurture health and wellbeing, support community relations and adapt to climate change. 

Addressing health inequalities 

Health and social care is important to us all. There are health inequalities in the Tees Valley and it is more important than ever that residents can access a modern and effective health and care sector 

The Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone will meet residents' care and health needs. This will be through new infrastructure, an environment to nurture health and new housing to support the needs of people of different ages. 

A connected, modern urban area 

Teesdale Business Park needs modernising and diversifying with office spaces and the surrounding outdoor areas. It is necessary to combine leisure, retail, new housing and community facilities with existing businesses there. There should be improved routes to connect it with the wider area and promote health for all. 

The improvements to Thornaby Station will also support this. 

Aspirational education and employment 

We are working with partners in education and health to deliver the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone vision. 

We want to create spaces full of energy to support an innovative and nationally renowned care cluster at the forefront of health innovation in the UK. We will attract businesses, providing aspirational local jobs which will help support local people to stay in the area and attract new residents to live here. 

Skills and education are at the forefront of our thinking. This means local people can find jobs in the health and care sector. We are working with partners to make the most of our assets and provide a new health and care educational anchor. 

Challenges 

The scale and ambition of the Tees Valley Health and Care Innovation Zone makes this a huge project. It will take time to deliver but there are early interventions which will help others embrace future stages. 

Some of the challenges faced by the plans are: 

• success on North Thornaby is linked to interventions in the wider blueprint 
• Teesdale Business Park was designed for cars and it is hard to use on foot 
• work is needed to release land for development and bring empty buildings back into use 

Key areas 

Town Centre South 

The Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre at Stockton Waterfront creates an opportunity for this area to be key in the 'Health Spine', beginning with the town centre and running through the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone. 

Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone 

There will be a 'Health Spine' of care and health located in this area which will incorporate an 'open innovation campus' as a centre of academic research and excellence, and a new care and health educational anchor located at St Marks Basin. 

Potential projects 

Town Centre South - Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre 

At one end of the 'Health Spine', the NHS centre will provide patients with quicker access to tests, checks and scans. 

Tees Valley Health and Care Innovation Zone - Open Innovation Campus 

Imagined as a centre of academic research and excellence that is connected to the community and supported by Stockton Riverside College and Teesside University. The campus has sports and wellbeing facilities open to all and spaces for collaboration in repurposed buildings. 

Tees Valley Health and Care Innovation Zone - Green infrastructure 

Increase green infrastructure to create a network that supports the wellbeing of the community. We will also explore community allotments with the potential for initiatives with healthcare partners.