The Tees Valley Combined Authority has submitted a wide-ranging transport and infrastructure vision worth more than £1.3bn to government, with Darlington receiving approximately £24m as part of the package.
The funding has been agreed by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Combined Authority Cabinet members. Each of the region's five local authorities — Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees — will receive around £24m to support transport connections for major regeneration projects in their town centres.
What the funding will support
The money will enable the Tees Valley Combined Authority to work closely with each local authority to identify and address connectivity needs for town centre projects. In Darlington, this aligns with the ongoing Darlington Economic Campus development.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "Important projects are taking shape in our towns right now across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. From the Darlington Economic Campus to the new Production Village in Hartlepool, as well as exciting visions across Teesside, we're seeing interventions to breathe new life into the heart of our towns. But these projects will simply not deliver what local people need if they don't link up properly with our transport network."
The wider Tees Valley transport plan
The funding package ties in with the Tees Valley's ten-year local growth plan, which sets priorities on skills, jobs, transport, housing and development.
The updated Tees Valley transport delivery plan has been refined following draft proposals presented to leaders in March. It sets out regional priorities for a faster, safer and more reliable transport network, improving links between communities, town centres, major employment sites and the national transport system.
Major projects planned across the region include a new platform at Middlesbrough Station, redevelopment of Thornaby Station and the Tees Marshalling Yards, the Darlington Northern Link Road and wider improvements to the A66 and A689 corridors.
Steve Harker, TVCA cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said: "This is a wide-ranging and vitally important transport delivery plan for the whole of Tees Valley. It will be adapted as the work develops, but it is pleasing to have these priorities set down. We now look forward to the feedback from the Department for Transport."
He added: "It is crucial people understand that, while we are a devolved body, major transport schemes often require significant additional funding. Therefore, government backing for our plans is vital because it will allow external bodies to help fund our programme, giving us the best chance of delivering as many projects as possible in good time across the region."