Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has unveiled a £150m programme of demolition work across the former Redcar steelworks site – including the Redcar Blast Furnace and Coke Ovens – as part of plans to prepare the site for a new generation of industry.

The contracts for the five-year programme on the newly renamed Teesworks site will see the demolition of some of the most iconic structures from the former steelworks which have formed part of the Redcar skyline for generations.

The contracts are due to be awarded in December, with work beginning as early as March next year. Up to 300 jobs could be created throughout the demolition programme.

The nine structures that will be demolished as part of the programme are:

• Redcar Blast Furnace;
• Redcar Coke Ovens;
• Redcar Raw Materials Handling Facility;
• Redcar Sinter Plant;
• Redcar Power Station;
• Lackenby Steelmaking Plant;
• Lackenby Coil Plate Mill Complex;
• South Bank Coke Ovens;
• Grangetown Torpedo Ladle Repair Facility.

Houchen said: “More than 200 local jobs have already been created on the site, but as I said last month when we launched Teesworks, over the next year, we will go on to create hundreds more and this is not only the next stage of that plan, but the most significant so far.”

Mary Lanigan, leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “We are all excited about the potential of this world class site and the huge opportunities we have to attract investment from around the world to Teesworks. But, of course, there is a real pang in the heart at the thought of such an iconic part of our skyline and steel-making heritage vanishing. Making iron and steel has been fundamental to our identity for generations – it’s in our blood.

“However, we must concentrate on building a prosperous future and preparing this massive industrial site for a range of new, cutting edge industries is a crucial part of that challenge.  Making iron and steel was a new industry once and we became world-beaters. We can do that again with the industries of the future.”

Click here to register your interest in this and other upcoming contracts at the Teesworks site.