Care and health zone vision 'gains traction'

MASTERPLAN FOR TEES 'HEALTH SPINE' WITH MEDICAL SCHOOL AND INNOVATION CENTRE

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

A CARE and health innovation zone will offer "best in class facilities" for Teesside, councillors have been told.

Leading officers have told how their masterplan for the new zone could lead to a new medical school and "innovation centre".

The idea for the zone was first announced in 2023 as a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to bring about 9,000 jobs and £470m into the local economy, "breathe new life" into Teesdale Business Park and regenerate the "blank canvas" of the Tees Marshalling Yards.

It has since "gained traction", along with the development of a larger "Tees Central" project, described as a "huge opportunity for expansion of the economic growth aspirations" for Stockton, building on a 25-year blueprint.

Councillors on the adult social care and health select committee have now been told of the latest progress.

Chris Renahan, the council's assistant director for inclusive growth and development, said the project started considering the Teesdale Business Park and Tees Marshalling Yards, with a masterplan for a "health spine".

It would link with the Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre, for people getting tests and scans which opened in April, and other community health facilities.

He said: "The site itself is very central. If you drop a pin in middle of the Tees Valley it pretty much lands on that site.

The masterplan talked about things like Thornaby Gateway around the station, creating that multi-modal transport hub.

"It also touched on things like the 'live work learn cluster', the concept of how we can create multi-generational living, this sort of thing happens on the continent quite a lot.