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Minister heralds start of TV Metro

The Tees Valley is to get its own version of the Metro, it was revealed last week.

The Minister for the North East, Nick Brown MP, told business leaders that the first crucial building blocks for a Tees Valley Metro system will be put in place in the near future.

Speaking at the North East Chamber of Commerce’s (NECC) Tees Valley Dinner, Mr Brown said that connectivity was a top priority across the region. He then outlined how he had personally chaired a transport funding meeting recently at which decisions had been made on a number of investments, up to £5m each, that collectively could be considered the first phase of the Tees Valley Metro.

The announcement came just minutes after NECC president Martyn Pellew said the public sector must deliver a 21st Century transport infrastructure for the region.

Mr Pellew stressed that businesses were the dynamo of the economy and it was their future success that would bring the UK out of the downturn, but he added that it required the help of the public sector.

He said: “We need to improve our highways and we need to keep up progress in terms of the Metro system.”

Mr Brown had earlier praised the NECC’s lobbying work on behalf of its members, saying: “I have had more help from the North East Chamber of Commerce than any other organisation. You don’t just punch your weight, you punch above your weight. I salute you in trying to make this a better place for our friends, our colleagues and our neighbours to live.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .