Free Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region
Issue 93 September - October 2018
● Picture by: Marc Hodgson
•• This month 26,300 copies ••
Slap in the face to businesses and employees on Longbeck Industrial Estate I
● Peter Collinson of Car Care of Marske showing just one of the many pot holes, this one is 5 inches deep. You can also see a leaning lamppost in the background!
t has recently been announced that there is to be a £4.9 million boost for industrial estates across our Borough from the SSI Task Force, Council and TVCA funding pots. The Proposals are fantastic for Skelton and Skippers Lane Industrial Estates but once again Longbeck Industrial Estate is short changed and we ask WHY? As the news filters through that Longbeck Industrial Estate is to be awarded £200k in order to repair the much needed roads on this busy industrial estate, it brings mixed feelings when looking at the bigger picture. One disillusioned business owner and long time campaigner for Longbeck Industrial Estate, Peter Collinson of Car Care of Marske, spoke to Coastal View: "Along with Coastal View and Moor News we have campaigned tirelessly for at least eight years trying to have a voice heard and notice taken. At last it is recognised by the Council that the road, drainage and lighting infrastructure on Longbeck Industrial Estate is in a very poor state of repair, to a point that it does directly affect the businesses and their customers who are on it and use it daily. £200k would resurface the roads with a 10 year guarantee - brilliant news you would think - but then look at the bigger picture. "What about talking with the businesses and bringing the lighting and drainage up to an acceptable standard? Encouraging development and improvement in order to make sure the estate doesn't stand still as it has done for the past 25 years. To propose £3.5 million to Skippers Lane, £1.2 million to Skelton and £200k to Longbeck is nothing more than a slap in the face to the businesses and employees, as well as the residents of Marske and its surrounding area, which beggars belief on what the future holds
for the estate long term and its 300 + workers. "Longbeck Industrial Estate is crying out for basic infrastructure investment, we don’t need coffee chains, fast food outlets or supermarkets, just roads, drains and lighting to survive!" Councillor Bob Norton, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, said: “These industrial estates are vital to our economy, both locally and nationally. "We’ve worked with the businesses in the estates and this investment will help them remain competitive and attract future business to our region. "Improving access helps all the businesses in the estates and crucially also helps their supply chain partners, who may not be based on those estates, but play a major part in our local business network. "The Council’s growth plan and the South Tees Development Corporation’s Master Plan both place a large emphasis on business development and ensuring the continued development and suitability of our industrial estates is key to this ambition. "The Skippers Lane investment alone will allow for the creation of around 140 permanent jobs, plus a further 46 jobs during the construction of the new units. "If the proposals are agreed upon, work on the three projects will begin immediately." Peter continued: "As far as I'm aware no talks happened with local councillors or businesses in the Longbeck Ward, so I must disagree with Councillor Bob Norton, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth's comments."
Redcar MP Anna Turley said: “Local businesses, supported by Coastal View, have long been pushing for investment to improve conditions on the trading estate in Longbeck. During that time the roads in particular have continued to deteriorate to a dreadful state and only the entrances to the estate have recently been resurfaced. “This new money is welcome but there is a massive imbalance between what Longbeck will receive compared to several £million in Skelton and at Skippers Lane. £200,000 will only scratch the surface of the problems with road surfacing, drainage and lighting in Longbeck. The businesses are right to feel let down and I urge the council to look again at their investment plans for Longbeck.” However, RCBC Skelton Councillor, David Walsh is understandably delighted at this recent news and said: "A really good Skelton £1.2 million development from Redcar and Cleveland Council. We are going to override the legal hurdles and improve the Skelton Industrial Estate. "This Estate is a potential supply chain base for new anchor businesses that exist at Boulby, Skinningrove and Whitby and offers supply chain potential to small and medium-sized businesses looking for long-term contracts with these anchor businesses. I reckon Sirius mine might also be interested after all, its a site midway between their shaft near Whitby, and their processing centre at Wilton. Recent growth has been around retailing, so this investment gives the opportunity to accentuate industry - the original reason the estate was set up Continued on page 6 ►►►
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