Middlesbrough Development Corporation - Ben Houchen's Charter City

With the right investment and vision, there’s so much potential with CNE, Gurney House, Church House, the Crown and Dundas. It bizarre that so much new office space has been developed on other site in the last ten years or so.
 
Air Resistance said:
Probably not, hence the need for vision and investment. Better than building new on empty sites
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It may be more feasible to remove them. Stockton Council have decided to get rid of the west precinct in Billingham which has a lot of deserted offices above. It's going to be replaced with housing.
 
Will_Graham said:
I wish they wouldn't focus on Andy Preston's wealth so much, particularly in a snidey way.
Would all these things be acceptable if he was just a millionaire and not a multi-millionaire?
Or if he lived in a 4 bedroom detached house with bushes and a double garage, instead of a mansion with topiary and stables?
No. So why mention them?
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Because he can only maintain a mansion and his life-style by sucking in £ millions from dodgy property dealings with the MDC and BenT. Someone living in a 3 bed house in Ingleby Toytown would not be up to their neck in the cesspit of Teesside corruption.
 
Will_Graham said:
I don't think he hides his wealth, seems quite proud of it.
In fact, during his campaign he used his business acumen and personal success as evidence he could turn the town around by approaching the role as a negotiator and businessman. His wealth was all part of that 'evidence'.
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He probably would if he wasn’t hoovering public money up all over the place
 
There is also a need for much more hotel accommodation in Teesside, Boro especially. I imagine it would cost millions £ to convert any % of those blocks, but private investors won't shell out. Pity.
 
Air Resistance said:
With the right investment and vision, there’s so much potential with CNE, Gurney House, Church House, the Crown and Dundas. It bizarre that so much new office space has been developed on other site in the last ten years or so.
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The public transport and car parking infrastructure in Middlesbrough is not currently up to the job of supporting multiple high rise buildings and shopping centres full of employees and customers. Captain Cook square could have been a great start to bringing people back into town but Andy Preston tried to force the businesses he wanted in there instead of focusing on what would bring people in. The e-sports venue may have worked in another location where prices could have been cheaper but the volume of customers needed to make a profit when each customer is likely to take up a seat for at least a couple of hours just doesn’t work in that space and location. The go kart venue is a ridiculous concept for the centre of town due to the space it takes up.
 
SilentProf said:
The public transport and car parking infrastructure in Middlesbrough is not currently up to the job of supporting multiple high rise buildings and shopping centres full of employees and customers. Captain Cook square could have been a great start to bringing people back into town but Andy Preston tried to force the businesses he wanted in there instead of focusing on what would bring people in. The e-sports venue may have worked in another location where prices could have been cheaper but the volume of customers needed to make a profit when each customer is likely to take up a seat for at least a couple of hours just doesn’t work in that space and location. The go kart venue is a ridiculous concept for the centre of town due to the space it takes up.
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The whole of Teesside's "Public Transport" system is flippin dreadful: from the vehicles to the train carriage stock, frequency of services, speed of services, complete isolation of areas like East Cleveland from the rest of Teesside, over-priced fares, complete lack of foresight, planning and development over a medium to long term period from all councils and a "don't care" attitude from Councillors, Mayors [Mares?] and those in authority able to affect change.​
 
Will_Graham said:
I wish they wouldn't focus on Andy Preston's wealth so much, particularly in a snidey way.
Would all these things be acceptable if he was just a millionaire and not a multi-millionaire?
Or if he lived in a 4 bedroom detached house with bushes and a double garage, instead of a mansion with topiary and stables?
No. So why mention them?
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Hi Will. I mentioned Andy Preston's £4m house, topiary and stables precisely because he DOESN'T live in a 4 bedroom house. A man of incredible wealth who has no idea how the people of Middlesbrough live. That's the entire point of the article! But your use of the word 'snidey' indicates that you are probably one of his admirers, and hence why you are so touchy about any criticism of him
 
Will_Graham said:
I don't think he hides his wealth, seems quite proud of it.
In fact, during his campaign he used his business acumen and personal success as evidence he could turn the town around by approaching the role as a negotiator and businessman. His wealth was all part of that 'evidence'.
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Yer jokin us aren't yer?
 
Teesside Crab Killer said:
Hi Will. I mentioned Andy Preston's £4m house, topiary and stables precisely because he DOESN'T live in a 4 bedroom house. A man of incredible wealth who has no idea how the people of Middlesbrough live. That's the entire point of the article! But your use of the word 'snidey' indicates that you are probably one of his admirers, and hence why you are so touchy about any criticism of him
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I don't admire him. I'm not touchy of criticism of him if it is valid and relevant.
I still question the relevance of the size of his house in the context of the article.
Owning a mansion doesn't automatically mean you don't understand how people in Middlesbrough live. It is a lazy assumption to make. He was born and bred in Middlesbrough and his parents (famously) still live there. Or at least did when the election was on.
The fact he lives in Northallerton is obviously relevant to that point, but not his house size.
And to mention "topiary". What is the relevance there? I've seen all sorts of bonny shaped plants in the gardens around Middlesbrough and even in B&M.

The rest of the article raises some interesting points, including some things I wasn't aware of.
But there was no need for what, in my opinion, still come across as the snidey comments relating to his wealth.

You asked for opinions on your article. You should have made it clear you only wanted positive comments.
 
I think this is a fair article other than the fact that the Cleveland centre- even though it was bought by Preston, is in profit for the council and has been since the council bought it.
 
TheLodger said:
I think this is a fair article other than the fact that the Cleveland centre- even though it was bought by Preston, is in profit for the council and has been since the council bought it.
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I think I know the answer, but has Middlesbrough Council / Tees Valley, et al., got any "leverage" over the owners of those office blocks mentioned in the article, in terms of planning or investment? Or is it the usual case that Local Authorities [with public money they dont have] have to sugar-coat the silver spoon to attract and cuddle private "investors"?

For example; Boro needs another hotel in the centre, so people can access the town via the Railway and Bus Stations. It's horrendous booking even the "budget" hotels, particularly with a week or two’s notice. Try booking one for a rearranged match, when there's no public transport home. Sooner miss the match.
 
SilentProf said:
The public transport and car parking infrastructure in Middlesbrough is not currently up to the job of supporting multiple high rise buildings and shopping centres full of employees and customers. Captain Cook square could have been a great start to bringing people back into town but Andy Preston tried to force the businesses he wanted in there instead of focusing on what would bring people in. The e-sports venue may have worked in another location where prices could have been cheaper but the volume of customers needed to make a profit when each customer is likely to take up a seat for at least a couple of hours just doesn’t work in that space and location. The go kart venue is a ridiculous concept for the centre of town due to the space it takes up.
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Transport is a bit of a red herring - those buildings supported large volume of people before without a problem - multiple New build office blocks have popped up in town without a problem - there just no will or money to invest in these buildings to either knock them down and replace with something that will be used, or ideally convert them into residential/other uses
 
Air Resistance said:
Transport is a bit of a red herring - those buildings supported large volume of people before without a problem - multiple New build office blocks have popped up in town without a problem - there just no will or money to invest in these buildings to either knock them down and replace with something that will be used, or ideally convert them into residential/other uses
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On the contrary, if you want to attract people to the town centre, you need a planned integrated transport system. If people don't want the "Marton Crawl" every morning or being sardines on the train from Nunthorpe, they will look at jobs elsewhere. Unfortunately, most people in Middlesbrough today, don't live in the middle of town with an iron-works and a pub at the end of the street. You have to consider Middlehaven, the College, the University and access to the facilities in the Town. The town centre needs reinvigorating and reinvestment, but whilst its easier to get to Teesside Park, people won't go into Middlesbrough Centre. Times have moved on, and those offices have stood empty for many years. You dont make investment attractive without a modern, effective transport system, which caters for feet and wheels. It's essential, definitely not a "red herring". ​
 
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