Teesside Airport Movements

Southside

The Journey So Far

By Chris Smith

We have recently been presented with the latest attempt at a southside development - the fourth during my time following the airport but the first by the current owners. As such I thought now might be an appropriate time to look back and compare the previous efforts.

"The Future Southside Development" Developer: Moorfield Group Dates: c.1995-2003 Reason for failure: Deemed unrealistic and not financially viable.
Size:	250 acres	Cost:	£4m+	Jobs:	5,000	Aviation:	Yes	Planning approval:	Yes
This is the first proposed development that I am old enough to recall - I don't believe it was considered necessary to unlock land value at airports prior to this. Looking at the drawings I've found, the whole concept was heavily aviation related (as it should be) and revolved around cargo and freight. In the image below, you can see a five-phase plan featuring a cargo terminal approximately double the size of our existing passenger terminal plus six aircraft stands, supported by 11 warehouse units, the smallest of which could just about encompass hangars 1 and 2 combined! There are also rail freight sidings (just right of the image below) and references to "Option 1" and "Option 2", which appear to relate to a choice of two access roads, the first would be an immediate left off the current entrance roundabout, skirting around the existing northside business park where the hospital is, running parallel to the alpha taxiway before disappearing under an underpass beneath the 23 threshold. The second is the far more common attempt at a separate access leading off the A67. The cost listed above is around £8.1m at 2021 value and is believed to have covered mainly the surface access. Links: (1) (2)

"Skylink International Business Park" Developer: Peel Holdings / Tees Valley Regeneration Dates: 2008 - 2013 Reason for failure: Recession, RGF rejection, possible lack of forthcoming tennants
Size:	250 acres	Cost:	£110m	Jobs:	3,500	Aviation:	Yes	Planning approval:	Yes
Received with skeptisim and sarcastically referred to as "Plan H" by many, this was on reflection very similar to the nineties effort, with a two-stand apron (with the possibility of adding an additional stand in future) and 10 warehouse units. Readers may remember the airport applied twice to the Regional Growth Fund to kick start this project, first asking for £5.9m in 2012, followed by a second attempt in 2013 for £4.65m, both of which were rejected. It is believed this was for utilities and the access road, which would have been the "Option 2" from the original development connected to the A67. If memory serves, any successful RGF applicant would have to invest a further 80% on top of what was granted via the RGF. The controversial housing development was conceived as an alternative means of raising the money instead. It was also intended for the site to be designated an "Enterprise Zone", which I believe is essentially tax concessions and a poor mans version of the Freeport concept we have now. During my research for this article, I noticed more than one property agent are still advertising plots for this project! Links: (1) (2)

"Aero Centre Tees Valley" Developer: Peel Group Dates: 2013 - 2019 Reason for failure: Airport takeover
Size:	250 acres	Cost:	£280m	Jobs:	4,000	Aviation:	Yes	Planning approval:	Not submitted
The southside development born out of the 2013 "Master Plan to 2020 and Beyond" and falling under the Aero Centre Tees Valley concept from 2015 onwards, was identical to the Skylink International Business Park except for the apron included all three stands right from the off, and there were provisions to relocate Serco next to their burning ground. There was also a whole new section to the west of the inherited development, which included a second apron with four stands and a hangar with capacity for two aircraft, a further eight industrial buildings on top of the existing 10, and an engine test bay. Access would have been from a controversial road extending from near the current rail halt, necessitating the relocation of the alpha taxiway just beyond stand 13, and requiring a railway-crossing style traffic light system at the runway 23 threshold. This development encompassed the whole estate, we've left the size above at the 250 acres that make up the southside, but the cost and jobs probably related to the full site. Developments on the northside included the planned housing estate, nine further hangars of which four were attached to a new apron west of the existing main apron, an "Employment Park" made up of around eight warehouse units, numerous offices, a cargo centre and railway sidings, and a new railway station under the bridge on the current access road. Links: (1) - pages 12-15

Untitled Teesside Airport business park Developer: Tees Valley Combined Authority Dates: 2022 - present
Size:	250 acres	Cost:	£200m	Jobs:	4,400	Aviation:	Yes	Planning approval:	Not yet submitted
Almost identical to the previous projects, with the same aircraft apron and very similar warehouse capacity. The airport require Serco to move their burning ground, this Northern Echo article goes into more detail regarding the negotiations. The plans do not appear to encroach onto the IFTC site, and it is thought the issue relates to smoke blowing over the units and associated smoke damage, odd given that not only has this not been an issue in the previous projects, but one even included office space and accommodation for Serco to be next to their facility. The southside business park will form part of the Teesside Freeport. Links: (1) (2)

To conclude, I wasn't expecting them to be so similar to each other! We were indifferent towards the housing development because it was on land too far removed from the airport infrastructure to be used for anything relating to aviation, that's not the case here and as such aviation must feature, and whilst that one apron is enough to suffice for now, we hope there is still scope for further southside aviation expansion in future.