Major changes are taking place across Tees Valley thanks to hundreds of millions of pounds of investment. Karen McLauchlan looks at some of the key regeneration projects helping shape a new future for the region. NEW jobs, new homes, new business - and new investment. Major schemes are now underway to reshape the region and usher in a new era of regeneration and rebuilding. Work is already underway in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton to transform hundreds of acres of land and create a bright new future for Teesside - much of which is being driven by Tees Valley Regeneration, the area's urban regeneration company. After more than two decades of waiting, work is now underway at Middlesbrough's Middlehaven site. The TVR team plans to breathe new life into the 200-acre site surrounding the old Middlesbrough Docks and the Riverside Stadium with residential, leisure and commercial property - which will create up to 2,000 new jobs. English Partnerships has already invested £18m on reclamation work and Thornaby developer Terrace Hill is already building the first office block on site. Council leaders recently issued new planning consent for the site. During the first phase of development it's envisaged work will include 766 homes; 37,200 square metres of commercial use; a 125-bedroom hotel; the new Middlesbrough College and a hall of residence with 39 flats; 3,500 square metres of shopping; 900 square metres of restaurants; 10,000 square metres of leisure use. The striking masterplan for Middlehaven was unveiled last year and embraced eye-catching concepts including sugar cube buildings, a Kerplunk hotel, and a toaster-shaped theatre. The plan sparked intense interest among some of the country's biggest names in architecture and regeneration. An announcement is due shortly about the developer selected to take the project forward. Major regeneration is also taking place along the banks of the Tees at Stockton. The £300m regeneration scheme at North Shore is set to bring 2,500 jobs to the area and transform 56 acres along the banks of the Tees opposite Thornaby's Teesdale site. Over the next eight years, planning chiefs expect to see hundreds of riverside homes, offices, state-of-the-art leisure facilities and a new hotel built at the site. It's also hoped a major expansion of Durham University's successful Stockton campus is expected to form a key part of the "world class" plan. TVR has begun its search for a private sector partner to turn the vision into reality. North Shore will eventually have 480 new homes ranging from apartments to family properties. There will be 650,000sq ft of office accommodation, 25,000sq ft of leisure space including a range of new amenities, a 100-bedroom hotel, cafes and restaurants. North Shore will be connected to the Teesdale development on the Thornaby side of the river with a new pedestrian and cycle bridge. Work is due to get underway on site in 2006. Over in Darlington work is progressing on the town's Central Park site. The £170m regeneration scheme aims to create 2,000 jobs. Work is well underway on the site's £34.5m Darlington Learning Park. Due to open in September next year, it will see the relocation and expansion of Darlington College of Technology. Regeneration in Hartlepool takes the shape of the Victoria Harbour project which will open up a stretch of waterfront north of the Marina to include housing, leisure, business and retail facilities and provide new jobs for the town. The £500m scheme, which was launched last year, uses land owned by PD Ports. Hartlepool will gain a range of new facilities including a new school, beautifully landscaped open space, a coastal walkway and an innovative pedestrian and cycle bridge. TVR is also working on development plans at Durham Tees Valley Airport and a business, hotel and leisure development on a 250-acre site. Airport bosses have also launched their own expansion plans for the site. Durham Tees Valley expects passenger numbers to treble and 2,500 jobs will be created under a £56m expansion plan. The growth will mean three million people a year using the airport and a multi-million pound boost to the local economy. Planning applications submitted to Stockton and Darlington councils revealed ambitious plans for a new terminal extension to enable the airport to handle up to three million passengers a year; a new cargo and maintenance complex; a new hotel and a business park. | 
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