Park End is set to benefit from a decade-long £20m investment. Described as “huge” by local MP Luke Myer, the news has also been welcomed by Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke and ward Councillor Mick Saunders. The money can be used for a variety of purposes, including creating better parks, or fixing up empty buildings – but plans must be made within the community where the money is heading.
The East Middlesbrough area will see the investment as part of a nationwide £5bn injection of cash into local communities, part of the Pride in Place programme. This is a widening out of the trailblazer neighbourhoods that were announced back in June, which saw Thorntree in Middlesbrough and Central Stockton and Portrack each handed £20m, although it was reported last month that there has been little progress on this front in Thorntree.
The news comes as part of a wider announcement that people across England will be given the power to revitalise their neglected high streets, create new spaces for young people and take back control of derelict pubs. Communities will be handed new powers to seize boarded up shops, save their treasured local pubs or libraries and clean up the eyesores in their area. The government says that they are also empowering councils in England to say no to new betting shops, vapes stores and fake barbers.
This will be particularly welcome in Redcar & Cleveland, where a recent motion expressed concern about a “growing concentration” of barbers, nail shops and beauty salons in some areas, along with takeaways. At the time, councillors urged that changes to planning regulations were needed to allow local authorities to “take back control” of high streets.
Image: Middlesbrough Council
The government has said that they will only approve spending if “Pride in Place Boards” have genuinely engaged their communities, so that community groups, local organisations and social clubs have been included in decisions on how the money should be spent.
Posting on Facebook about this process, Labour’s Mr Myer said: “I will be running surveys and events to make sure people have a say on how it’s spent. As folks will know, I believe in working together with people of all views. I will work with Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke to set up a proper board to manage the funds, and make sure this isn’t political.”
He said that an independent councillor would be included on the board along with a nonpartisan chair, adding: “The majority won’t be elected at all, they will be people from the community. Please give us some time to set this up, we want to make sure we get it right for people.
“I want to thank Secretary of State Steve Reed and also Alex Norris, who when I first raised the case for Park End, promised to look at it. I am delighted that the promise has been delivered, this is a real step forward for our area.”
Welcoming the news, Cllr Saunders, MICA group leader and local ward councillor, said: “This is absolutely brilliant news for Park End. We welcome the decision from government to better our estates in Park End. Long overdue that East Middlesbrough gets this treatment from government.”
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough Labour Mayor Chris Cooke said: “I’m absolutely thrilled about the funding coming to Park End, this will make a big difference to residents’ lives, and I’m particularly excited with how involved the local community will be in the decisions around where this funding goes to! We await further details, but we are starting to see real investment in our town again.”
Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East (which includes the Thorntree neighbourhood), said: “This is exactly the sort of thing a bold Labour government needs to focus on. It’s imperative that we get every last ounce of value out of these monies to transform the lives of people in our communities.”
Fellow Labour MP Chris McDonald, whose Stockton North constituency includes the Central Stockton and Portrack neighbourhood said: “This isn’t just about money, it’s about power. With £20m secured and new powers in place, Stockton has a once-in-a-generation chance to reclaim our high streets.
“Stopping nuisance businesses like vape shops from dominating, buying back boarded-up properties before they’re lost, and investing in what really matters to people: safer, cleaner streets, thriving shops, and green spaces for families. Labour is choosing renewal over decline, and I’ll work with Stockton Borough Council and local residents to make sure every penny delivers the pride and prosperity our community deserves.”
