A recent BBC survey named Middlesbrough as the worst place to live in Britain. Dani Webb talks to a former Teesside planner about what the future holds for the area.

"TEESSIDE is ready for the 21st Century, but we’re just being kept at the bottom of the pile,” says Franklin Medhurst at the launch of his book about the heritage of the region.

“It’s time to move forward.”

Second World War veteran Mr Medhurst took the leading role in the preparation of the Teesside Survey and Plan – Teesplan – in the Sixties, which aimed to improve the lives of people living there.

But in his book, A Quiet Catastrophe: The Teesside Job, the sprightly 90-year-old claims his determination to involve the public in its preparation was undermined by political selfinterest and corruption.

The 40-year plan finished in 2006, but the former planner believes the ideas are still relevant for today. “To see Middlesbrough described as bottom in the country could be an accident the first time around, but for this to happen a second time is just careless,” he says.

“Things have to change. The plan I created applies to all towns.”

Research commissioned by the BBC last month predicted a tough outlook for future of Teesside, with Middlesbrough coming bottom out of 324 local authorities.The town is vying to be awarded city status in 2012 and a bid has been submitted to the Government for it to form part of a new Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.

And this, according to Mr Medhurst, is what is needed. “When I came to live in this area in 1965, I was asked to prepare a plan for the city of Teesside,” says Medhurst, who lives in Carlton, near Stockton.

“Conditions were diabolical at the time and we needed a Teesside city state. As part of the work to create this we interviewed 110,000 people to find out their personal problems and what they wanted to see. We got a great deal of information from the people of Teesside, more than we hoped for.

“I can see a lot of similarities with what is happening today, but we have to move forward.

To do this, the formation of a Teesside city state has got to be part of the plan. It is important there is a great deal of industry going on here. The only thing that has not improved is society itself. There is still great poverty and crime. My job now is to find out where it is going next.”

Mr Medhurst achieved the rank of Flight Lieutenant during his time with the RAF in the Second World War. In 1945, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He studied at the Bristol School of Architecture and later at the London School of Planning.

It was from here he had a vision of designing a better future for one of Britain’s most blighted areas. Unfortunately, he believes his dream ultimately led to his sacking.

Part of his work saw him uncover a major pollution problem, which would have meant expensive and major works to solve the issues.

There were concerns that his report on the matter would be accepted and have major implications across the country. A few weeks later he was sacked – “out of the blue” – and told if he made a fuss, he would never work again.

Mr Medhurst’s book also gives his view on the part played in the destruction of Stockton’s heritage by John Poulson, who built one of the biggest architectural practices in Europe and was eventually jailed for corruption.

He criticises redevelopment work that took place in the High Street including demolition of buildings in the south-east quarter. The Vane Arms and Black Lion and a Tudor-style building between were knocked down as part of the work for the new Castlegate Shopping Centre.

“There were some delightful places and we have lost them,” he says. “They had real character, but there is no point being bitter. We have to get on with the job.

“I think Teesside has to do something quite different to climb up the ladder. It has to step outside the box and think where it is going. We should have widespread community thinking about what is needed.”

The passionate Teessider draws parallels between the betrayal of Teesside and the plight of the wider world. He believes lessons can be learned from history and can lead the way to a better existence for all towns and cities across the country.

Since his book was published a few weeks ago, he says he has already gathered enough new information to write a second one.

The book took five years to write. The sequel, perhaps, won’t take so long.

■ A Quiet Catastrophe: The Teesside Job, by Franklin Medhurst, is available at bookshops or online at Amazon, priced