Government pledges £71m to former SSI steelworks site in Redcar

The UK government has pledged £71.0m in funding for the former SSI steelworks site in Redcar as Boris Johnson seeks to cement his support in the former Labour strongholds he took over in the last general election.

SSI steelworks went into liquidation in 2015 but will now be turned into a business park with the aim of creating as many as 20,000 skilled jobs by 2040 thanks to the new funding.

The Treasury said the £71.0m would be used to pay for the demolishing of old buildings and preparing the ground for the area to be turned into a business park.

Johnson, who won the most votes in Redcar, traditionally a Labour stronghold, pledged to repay the trust of former Labour voters on a visit to the neighbouring constituency of Sedgefield the day after the election.

The investment marked one of the first significant cash investments in the region since the poll.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who vowed to bring steelmaking back to Teesside if re-elected later in 2020, said the cash will drive its regeneration and pave the way for new industry.

He said: “I have always said I would be the first to ask Government for more money when we needed it for the redevelopment of the former Redcar steelworks site.

“Therefore, I’m pleased we will be receiving £71 million to help accelerate its preparation for private sector investment.

“This is another significant step to help us breathe new life into an area that was devastated following the closure of the steelworks in 2015.

“It is fantastic for our region that Rishi and the Treasury have made this money a top priority and announced it in the first few weeks of the new Government.

“With (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP) Simon Clarke also in the Treasury, alongside the region’s recently-elected Conservative MPs, it shows what we can achieve when our region is well represented in Parliament.”