'I'd knock down the Cleveland Centre tomorrow if I could'

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen says knocking down the Cleveland Centre would make the town centre less disjointed

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THE Tees Valley mayor has said that, magic wand permitting, he would knock down the Cleveland Centre.

Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen's comments in response to a question he was asked at the first in-person Mayoral Question Time, due to take place twice a year at various locations across the Tees Valley, on top of his BBC Radio Tees monthly phone-ins.

His discussion of the potential destruction of the Cleveland Centre did come late in the answer, as part of big picture thinking, rather than immediate, realistic plans. Part of the mayor's reasoning for the demolition of the Cleveland Centre was to make the town centre less disjointed.

The Tees Valley mayor also discussed more practicable plans for Linthorpe Road, focussing on getting buildings back into use that were formerly occupied by big name brands.

As for the Cleveland Centre, Middlesbrough Council has recently opened the Live Well Centre, while the building also houses a hotel.

An audience member at the Q&A at Yarm School listed the big name closures that had occurred on Linthorpe Road, highlighting House of Fraser, Debenhams, M&S and most recently Next, before describing the town centre as a “slum”.