A new state-of-the-art gatehouse and entrance which will service the UK’s largest and most-connected industrial zone, at the heart of the Teesside Freeport, has been completed.
The gatehouse at the Teesworks industrial site was officially unveiled on Monday, after Esh Construction completed the £2.5m project on the former Redcar steelworks entrance and paved the way into the 4,500-acre site.
The revamped entrance includes a new modern gatehouse and training facility, increased car parking, bespoke street lighting and modern landscaping to create a welcoming arrival for visitors and international investors. A purpose-built 30-metre-wide 3m-high LED screen has been installed onto the newly decorated bridge as a feature to showcase the capabilities of the industrial zone, as well as provide up to date site information.
Andy Radcliffe, Esh’s chief executive officer, said: “As a local contractor, we are proud to play our part in the huge investment and re-development programme that is underway in the Tees Valley. The Redcar Gatehouse entrance was previously a focal point for the former steelworks site, now, it is a focal point for the UK’s largest industrial zone and the first tangible glimpse into the future of this site.
“We believe in employing local, buying local, and providing maximum economic benefit for our clients and their communities, a core value which is very much shared with that of the Mayor’s. As a local business, we are poised, ready to support the Mayor and the whole of Teesside by using the opportunity to carry out works on the site to bring jobs and ultimately prosperity to the communities in and around this iconic location”.
The scheme forms part of Teesworks’ ambitious plans to re-develop the site into a home for clean growth, large scale manufacturing and tech companies, powered by net zero energy. While Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced during the Budget 2021 that the UK’s largest Freeport will be based in Teesside, the site’s future was bolstered by a further announcement that it would become home to a new wind turbine blade manufacturing factory for global offshore wind manufacturer, GE Renewable Energy.
An official visit from Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Councillor Mary Lanigan marked the start on site for Esh’s civil engineering division in October 2020.
The long-standing gatehouse had become a key symbol following the closure of the SSI steelworks in 2015 and its demolition was a key moment in the journey of the biggest re-development opportunity in the country.
To find out more about Esh Construction, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk
