DELIGHT AS TEES VALLEY WINS PROMS IN THE PARK BID

Confirmation that the BBC’s prestigious Proms in the Park is coming to Middlesbrough later this year has been greeted with delight across the whole of the Tees Valley and North East England.

The announcement that the event will be staged before an audience of 7,000—and a television audience running into millions—in Middlesbrough’s impressive new Centre Square on Saturday, September 8th was made by the BBC’s Director for Nations and Regions Pat Loughrey at the opening this evening of the new BBC Radio Cleveland Open Centre.

Winning the Proms in the Park for the Tees Valley is a major success for the steering group, including a wide range of Tees Valley and regional organisations, which first put in a bid last year, so impressing the BBC that the area was put at the top of the short list of potential venues this year.

The Middlesbrough event, with the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra take pride of place, will be linked to events nationwide—including, of course, the world-famous Last Night of the Proms concert held in the Albert Hall in London.

Local opera singer Suzannah Clarke first proposed to the BBC the idea of staging Proms in the Park to the area and now chairs the Steering Group planning for the event. Today she stressed that the aim was make it an event for the entire community.

Said Suzannah “This will be one of the most important musical events which has ever taken place in the Tees Valley. We have succeeded in persuading the BBC to come here because they were so impressed by the level of support right across the area—and indeed the whole of the region.

“Now we have confirmation that Proms in the Park will be coming here we can get down to the huge amount of detailed planning required for an event of this scale. I am sure that it will be a tremendous spectacle, especially as it will take place in the heart of Middlesbrough and against the backdrop of the superb new mima art gallery.

“As well enabling local people to take part in a marvellous musical event, it will provide a great opportunity for us to show off the tremendously talented performers we have here in the Tees Valley and the region.”

The Proms in the Park will form an important part of North East England’s world-class programme of events and festivals in 2007 and leading figures across the Tees Valley and the region have joined in the celebrations at the announcement.

Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast said: “This is great news for everyone who has been involved in bringing the event here. Securing the Proms in the Park is another major cultural boost for the Tees Valley and will help raise awareness of the region on a national level.

“The Tees Valley has established a great track record in delivering events like this and following the launch of mima earlier in the year I’m sure this will be another fantastic occasion.”

Added Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon “In Middlesbrough we want to create a calendar of cultural and community events which will attract people from all over the region. I am delighted that we are hosting Proms in the Park. It will be an ideal opportunity to showcase the town and the Tees Valley”

The full launch of the BBC Proms season will take place next month when details will be announced of ticket prices and booking arrangements for the Tees Valley event.
14-3-07

NOTE FOR EDITORS: Membership of the Tees Valley Proms in the Park Steering Group includes Middlesbrough Council, Darlington Council, Hartlepool Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Stockton-on-Tees Council, Tees Valley Partnership, the Tees Valley Area Tourism Partnership, One NorthEast, the Arts Council England North East. North East England’s programme of festivals and events is managed by destination marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative and supported by Arts Council England, North East, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, Northern Rock Foundation, One NorthEast and TyneWear Partnership

Please also see release issued by the BBC. For further information please contact Peter Dodson, telephone 01642 353111/mobile 07753 910536.

BBC Proms in the Park comes to the Tees Valley

The Tees Valley has been chosen as a new host for BBC Proms in the Park 2007, which takes place on Saturday 8 September. The nationally renowned event, sponsored by NS&I (National Savings and Investments), will enable 7,000 people to take part in the famous Last Night of the Proms celebrations in Middlesbrough’s impressive new Centre Square, with world-class North East orchestra Northern Sinfonia taking pride of place as the centrepiece for the evening’s music.

The event will be presented by Matthew Davies, BBC Radio Cleveland’s Breakfast show host, and will be linked to simultaneous Proms in the Park events nationwide in London, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Further details of the line-up, ticket prices and booking information will be available after the official BBC Proms season launch on 25 April, via bbc.co.uk/proms.

Nick Kenyon, Director BBC Proms and Live Events says “We are delighted to welcome the Tees Valley as a new host for BBC Proms in the Park in 2007. Over the last few years the famous Last Night of the Proms has expanded to provide a great celebration of music-making around the nations of the UK, and we are very pleased that Middlesbrough will be at the heart of this year’s event. The level of public support for the bid has been very impressive and we look forward to working together.”

Local opera singer Suzannah Clarke, who has championed the campaign to bring the BBC Proms in the Park to the area and chairs the local steering committee, says “Winning this event is a huge boost for the entire Tees Valley and indeed the whole of North East England. A key element has been the enormous amount of enthusiasm for the project shown by everyone in the area and I’m sure the interest will continue to grow over the coming months. BBC Proms in the Park links up the entire nation for one night and it is terrific to be a crucial part of the celebrations, and to show everyone what the Tees Valley can do. It will provide a great platform for local talent to perform alongside top artists and will make an important contribution to the region’s world-class programme of events and festivals”.

The BBC is pleased to announce that NS&I (National Savings and Investments), the government backed savings and investments provider, have extended their role as event sponsor of all five BBC Proms in the Park events in a new three year deal.

Peter Cornish, NS&I Marketing Director says “As proud sponsors of the event NS&I would like to extend our congratulations to the Tees Valley and welcome them to the Proms in the Park family. We’re enormously excited to be sponsoring this wonderful event for the second year running and look forward to enjoying the evening with all our guests in Middlesbrough and the other four locations across the United Kingdom.”

BBC Proms in the Park brings together a mix of classical and contemporary music, culminating with a big-screen link-up to London’s Royal Albert Hall for the famous Last Night of the Proms celebrations. Over 100,000 people participate nationwide, with countless millions listening via television and radio, making it one of the nation’s largest musical celebrations. The event was introduced 10 years ago to extend the magic of the Last Night of the Proms and is now an integral part of the UK’s music calendar extending across the whole of the United Kingdom.

For more information please contact:

Leanne Williams, Publicist, BBC Proms in the Park 020 8225 6042
Natasha Lee Press Officer, BBC North 0191 244 4888
Peter Dodson Tees Valley Steering Committee 01642 353111
Jonathan Akerman Media Relations Manager, NS&I 020 7348 9433

- ends –

Notes to editors:

Membership of the Tees Valley Proms in the Park Steering Group includes Middlesbrough Council, Darlington Council, Hartlepool Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Stockton-on-Tees Council, Tees Valley Partnership, the Tees Valley Area Tourism Partnership, One NorthEast, the Arts Council England North East and the Culture10 curated regional festivals and events programme, managed by destination marketing agency Newcastle Gateshead Initiative.

National Savings and Investments is one of the UK’s largest savings and investments providers, with 27 million customers and £78 billion invested, offering retail savings and investments that are 100% secure, backed by HM Treasury. This year, NS&I is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Premium Bonds draw which took place in June 1957.

A YEAR OF PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITY

A year of continuing progress and preparing for new opportunities - that's perhaps the best way to sum up what 2006 has meant to the Tees Valley.

Whilst there have been many changes over the past 12 months, one thing has remained constant - the commitment to continue working towards the Tees Valley Partnership's Vision for the regeneration of the area, making it a place where people want to live, work - and invest.

During the year many of the Partnership's projects and initiatives have been featured in Business Mail and it's worth looking back at how some of them are changing the face of Hartlepool and the rest of the Tees Valley:

ENTERPRISE - AND ENTREPENEURS

One of the keys to achieving our ambitions for the area is to generate a new spirit of enterprise and entrepreneurship... creating many more 'home grown' businesses and encouraging people to take the plunge into self-employment.

Hartlepool has traditionally had a very low level of business start-ups - less than half the national average - but things are changing. Key to that change is providing the right facilities and the right skills which is why the Partnership has supported projects including the upgrading and expansion of the Brougham Enterprise Centre and the extension of the 'Enterprise Academy' programme in the town.

In addition the Partnership contributed £2million to the UK Steel Enterprise Innovation Centre at Queens Meadow, providing world-class facilities for new and growing businesses. In February we were able to report that it had already hit its occupation target for 2006.

THE ENERGY AGENDA

One of the most significant developments in 2006 has been the increasing evidence of the Tees Valley's position as the UK's leading centre for the development of renewable energy technologies, ranging from biofuels to the hydrogen economy.

At the heart of this growth has been Renew Tees Valley, the company established by the area's local authorities, backed by the Partnership and One NorthEast, to exploit the huge opportunities in both the renewable energy and recycling fields.

In March we reported latest figures from the Environmental Industries Federation showing that there were around 240 companies
in the Tees Valley working in the environmental sector, employing almost 7,000 people.

Since then the developments have continued at a rapid pace…as well as Europe's largest biodiesel production plant now operating at Seals Sands, Renew is involved with companies planning major developments in the bioethanol field and is working closely with Progressive Energy on its project to use ground-breaking Carbon Capture and Storage technology for a new generation of 'clean coal' power stations.

FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Raising education standards is vital in ensuring that people in the Tees Valley have the skills and knowledge for the businesses of the Twenty First Century. In April we were able to report the remarkable success of the Foundation Degree programme - backed by the Partnership and involving the University of Teesside and six further education colleges - including Hartlepool.

The programme aims to develop courses which respond to the need of business and enable more people - both employed and out of work - to get into Higher Education. The the scheme's target for its first three years, to develop nine new courses, but in fact 15 courses came on stream - with 433 students benefiting, almost double the target figure. Hartlepool College of Further Education led the way with courses in engineering, early years, complementary therapies and building service engineering.

Now the Partnership has made almost £1million additional funding available to enable the programme to develop through to 2008.

SET FAIR FOR SUCCESS

The summer saw confirmation that Hartlepool had achieved a remarkable coup with the success of its bid to stage the world-famous Tall Ships race in 2010. Key to persuading the race organisers to come to the town was the huge amount of work, led by Hartlepool Council and with support from bodies such as the Partnership and One NorthEast, in exploiting the town's potential as a world-class maritime centre.

That potential was underlined with the staging of its most ambitious ever Maritime Festival, backed by the Partnership, which is also making over a million pounds available for the further development of the Historic Quay, a programme which will continue through to 2008.

The announcement of the Hartlepool's success in gaining the Tall Ships could not have come at a better time for the newly-created Tees Valley Area Tourism Partnership, aimed at continuing to maximise the potential of an industry which already supports over 14,000 jobs and contributes around £400million to the local economy.

ENGINEERING OUR FUTURE

Whether it chemicals, steel or the offshore industry…these industries at the heart of the Tees Valley economy depend on the skills and talent of the area's engineering sector.

This year has seen the Tees Valley Engineering Partnership - supported with over £400,000 funding from Tees Valley Partnership - step up its efforts to ensure that our industry continues to thrive despite increasing competition from across the world.

In July we reported how the Engineering Partnership was concentrating on key initiatives, including an ambitious project for its website to market the collective capability of local companies, the establishment of a New Technology Forum and work on how the Tees Valley can become an 'Energy Hub' - responding to the potential in the energy and power generation sector.

A WILD SUCCESS

From a derelict wasteland between Stockton and Hartlepool, Saltholme is set to become a world-class nature reserve with the prospect of attracting over 100,000 visitors a year and contributing £1.4million a year to the local economy. The £7million project, announced in the autumn, is led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in collaboration with the Teesside Environmental Trust, with backing from the area's authorities - and £2.3million of funding from One NorthEast provided through Tees Valley Partnership.

Set to welcome its first visitors in the Spring of 2008, Saltholme will cover around 1,000 acres and its heart will have the Wild Bird Discovery Centre, a futuristic building designed to emerge out of the landscape with a feather-like roof and using state of the art techniques to engage visitors and provide insights into the wildlife on the reserve.

ON TARGET

With £23million to spend on dozens of different projects across the whole of the Tees Valley, it's a tough challenge to stay on target - but in November the Tees Valley Partnership was able to report that's what it had managed to achieve.

Figures were issued for the last financial year showing that, as well as being within just one per cent of its spending allocation from the regional development agency One NorthEast, the Partnership had reached or exceeded it targets in key areas such as job creation and business support.

Exhibition is huge success

AN ART club's annual selling exhibition is proving so popular extra stock has had to be brought in.

A further 45 pictures have been made available for sale as part of Hartlepool Art Club's 59th annual selling exhibition which is being held at Hartlepool Art Gallery within Christ Church in Church Square until Sunday December 31.

The exhibition which includes a wide range of traditional, contemporary and abstract art, features work by some of the area's leading artists. Ed Norton, Hartlepool Council's exhibitions officer, said:

"The response has been very good. The extra pictures have had to be brought because so many have already been sold.

"All of the paintings make excellent Christmas gifts. Even if you have already visited the exhibition, it might be worth dropping by again to look at the latest additions to the exhibition."

Running alongside the art club's selling exhibition, is an equally as popular craft exhibition which also offers a wide selection of gift ideas, including decorative panels, baskets, fashion accessories, ceramics and jewellery.

Entry to the art gallery is free. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-5.30pm and from 2-5pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays and will be shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Further information is available by calling 01429 869706.

£1.6m Town Square project has its official opening

THE new £1.6m Town Square which has transformed the centre of Hartlepool's Headland has been officially opened by Margaret Fay OBE, chairwoman of regional development agency One NorthEast, who also unveiled a commemorative plaque.

The project, which has taken 11 months to complete, has created a formal square in front of the Borough Hall plus a history garden and a new building incorporating a clock tower, public toilets and an information point for visitors.

It has been spearheaded by the North Hartlepool Partnership, which is using money from One NorthEast to regenerate the Headland.

The project was designed by urban design firm Ferguson McIlveen and has been built by Seymour Civil Engineering. It has been funded by the North Hartlepool Partnership, the European INTERREG fund, Hartlepool Council and money from One NorthEast via the Tees Valley Partnership.

The plans were drawn up following extensive public consultation after previous studies and consultation identified a strong need to create a "central heart" befitting the centre of the Headland.

The imposing Town Square is paved with granite blocks and bordered by a sandstone wall and seating. Set into the centre of this large paved area – which has been designed to accommodate community activities and events – is a sandstone compass point design, with each of the four points featuring the ancient Hartlepool seal.

Steps from the square lead into the history garden – a classical garden layout featuring low hedges, shrub beds and 26 benches in traditional cast iron. It is bordered by a combination of traditional stone walls and cast iron railings incorporating different designs echoing Headland history, including a lighthouse, a boat and a church window.

Another striking feature of the garden is the Time Line – a pathway in which some of the sections of paving are engraved with key dates in Hartlepool's history, from 640 AD when Hieu became the first abbess of the monastery on the Headland. This will be illuminated by underground lighting during the evenings.

The start of the Time Line is marked by a large stone engraved with images of St Hieu and St Hilda.

Key to the project is the use of high quality materials and designs in keeping with the Headland's heritage. The area will also be a "green oasis" – the main existing trees have been retained and almost 80 new ones have been added, including leafy sycamores. A total of 450 new shrubs have also been planted, as well as 60,000 crocus bulbs.

There has been strong community involvement in the project. Hartlepool firm Heerema created the decorative metalwork for the new building, Seymour Civil Engineering donated the clock for the tower, the Headland History Group provided information for the Time Line, and Asda donated the piece of stone used to mark the start of the Time Line.

Pupils from local schools St Bega's, St Helen's and St Hild's have buried time capsules in the history garden, as has the Partnership itself.

Councillor John Marshall, chairman of the North Hartlepool Partnership, said: "A few may disagree, but I believe that this new Town Square is a delight. It is a space that I hope will be used to its fullest extent for all sorts of outdoor events over this coming Christmas season and beyond.

"I would personally like to thank everyone who has contributed to this wonderful space. I would also like to personally thank Heerema Hartlepool for their unending contributions and goodwill to this scheme and many others in this community."

Margaret Fay, chairwoman of One NorthEast, said: "The extensive improvements, which include the work done on the Town Square, really do this historic area of Hartlepool justice.

"They have transformed the centre of the Headland, and I'm delighted that One NorthEast, along with the North Hartlepool Partnership, the European Regional Development Fund, Hartlepool Council and the Tees Valley Partnership, has funded and supported them.

"This area is one of many to benefit from significant investment, and I think it's fair to say that Hartlepool is now one of the jewels in this region's crown."

Tees Valley is set to move into a new era

THE Tees Valley is set to move into a new era which "will mean we have to think harder and act smarter about how we can take forward our ambitions for the future redevelopment of our area".

That's the message from Martin Simpson, programme manager for the Tees Valley Partnership which invests many millions of pounds a year on behalf of the regional development agency One NorthEast, into a huge range of projects – whether it be physical improvements such as Tees Valley Regeneration's flagship developments, the new MIMA art gallery in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool Historic Quay and the Faverdale Business Park in Darlington, or the schemes to provide local people with the skills and training they need to work in the industries of the 21st century... or even set up their own businesses.

However, the times are changing - many public funding programmes are coming to an end and those that remain are coming under increasing pressure as the gap between resources and expectation widens. Additionally, a further challenge is the impact of the expansion of Europe with the level of regional grants available to the UK being greatly reduced.

Says Martin Simpson: "The Tees Valley has seen very high levels of public investment which have transformed many parts of our area. You only have to look at what has happened in Hartlepool - with the regeneration developments originally begun by the Teesside Development Corporation and in recent years carried forward by bodies such as the Partnership, the local council and of course One NorthEast - to see the enormous impact of that investment.

"In fact we have had a period of considerable stability in the funding sources which have enabled us to begin delivering many of the ambitions set out the Tees Valley Vision, developed by the Partnership to guide the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the area.

"Now we are seeing changes at both the national and European level and that is likely to have significant implications for areas such as the Tees Valley. Of course, it doesn't mean that the money will dry up altogether, but it does mean that we probably need to begin adopting new and innovative approaches to finding the funds we need to continue with our regeneration programme... especially new projects.

"There are already a lot of ongoing developments which will take up a considerable part of the funds we will have available, whether it be skills development programmes, business support and our recently-established Tourism Partnership or major building projects, such as Victoria Harbour in Hartlepool, North Shore in Stockton, Middlehaven in Middlesbrough, Central Park in Darlington... and indeed the planned Tees Valley Metro transport system.

"But there is a still great deal more work we need to do if we are to turn into reality the vision of making the Tees Valley one of the success stories of the 21st century. Take for example the Coastal Arc programme which aims to exploit the potential of our coastline.

One of the elements in the programme is the development of the Hartlepool Coastal Walkway linked to the Victoria Harbour project - a scheme which is especially important in the light of the town's success in attracting the Tall Ships race in four years' time.

"In Redcar the Coastal Arc programme encompasses the development of the Coatham Links area and, of course, there are a whole range of schemes earmarked for development under the Stockton-Middlesbrough initiative and the Darlington Gateway initiative.

"So in this new era where the sources of finance are changing how do we take forward our ambitions for these and any many other of the plans set out in the Tees Valley Vision and most recently the Tees Valley City Region Development Plan? The answer is, I believe, by being prepared to look at many more alternative sources for funding and actively seeking to develop partnerships with a wide range of interests, for example private sector developers, marrying public and private regeneration funds together.

"We also have to recognise that we are in competition for funding. Virtually every other part of the country also has ambitious blueprints for the future with projects requiring many millions of pounds to deliver. The challenge for the Tees Valley is to make sure that when we put forward our development proposals they have the best chance of generating interest and support.

"We are now seeing some very encouraging signs that we can attract to our area the kind of major league property developers - such as Urban Splash with the North Shore development in Stockton and BioRegional Quintain at Middlehaven - that we need to bring in the levels of private sector funding which are crucial to delivering our ambitions for the Tees Valley, and will be increasingly important in the years ahead."