Treasury on Teesside: Dozens of businesses back Government relocation to Tees Valley

In a letter to Rishi Sunak, more than 50 businesses have become the latest to back the campaign that would see 750 senior Whitehall officials move out of the capital to a purpose built northern economic campus dubbed ‘Treasury North’.

• The Northern Echo's message to Rishi Sunak: It's time to put your money where your mouth is

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak

Businesses signing the letter range from AV Dawson in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool-based JDR Cables, Darlington Building Society, Cleveland Bridge, the Wilton Group and LV Shipping.

A range of financial and tech businesses have also backed the plans, as have a number of small, indepedent businesses including Strickland and Holt in Yarm, Skinnergate Cycles and Tomahawk Steakhouse.

It comes as Teesside and Durham Universities officially gave their backing to the bid last week, and a number of other educational establishments have also signed up including Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton Riverside Colleges.

• Durham and Teesside University join calls for Rishi Sunak to bring Treasury jobs to Tees Valley

In October, the Prime Minister announced that 22,000 civil servants will be moved out of London by 2030.

The plans have received cross party support from MPs, council leaders and other politicians across the region.

A new base at Teesside Airport remains the front runner for the new hub should Government decided to bring the jobs to Teesside, with Newcastle and Leeds also in the running.

Teesside International Airport

The letter states: "We fully support your plan to move Civil Service jobs out of London to the North. This will ensure that government hears and understands the problems and the aspirations of people outside metropolitan areas, including those running and working in businesses like ours.

"However, for this project to achieve its aims effectively, the jobs must not go to a metropolitan centre such as Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle - they need to come to a region like ours, with its mix of town and rural problems and opportunities.

"In delivering jobs and prosperity to our area, we are agreed that this move would be hugely positive. We stand ready to serve the site and civil service employees, and this is a project which would offer opportunities to keep talented local people working in our area as well as making a hugely positive statement to potential investors about our area."

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I’m thrilled that businesses large and small have got behind my bid to bring Treasury North to Teesside.

“The relocation to a large part of the Treasury Civil Service to Teesside is a once in a generation opportunity to significantly shift the thinking of Whitehall policymakers.

“It’s no secret that some mandarins have a hopelessly outdated view of Teesside that’s more akin to the 19th century rather than the 21st. What better way to challenge this than to move a large part of the most important department to Teesside.

“I have no doubt the Chancellor understands how critical this decision is and that it is key to showing people across Teesside, who lent the government their vote at the last general election, that levelling up really means something and is more than an empty slogan.

“The people back my bid, the Council leaders back my bid, the regions universities back by bid and now business back my bid.”

Earlier this week, ahead of the March 3 Budget, The Northern Echo joined forces with the region’s business leaders and figures from across the political spectrum to urge Chancellor Rishi Sunak to deliver on a number of pledges to make sure the North-East isn't left behind when it comes to post-Covid investment and the Government's levelling up agenda.

Among the demands of the Chancellor was to bring the 750 Treasury jobs to Teesside.