Well done again Ben Houchen

[erimus74]

Another plus from Houchen 👍

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/new-lifts-open-billingham-station-28029104?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

[tunstall]

About fucking time

[erimus74]

About fucking time

😁

[erimus74]

But, but, but, he's dodgy, blah, blah, blah

Class, well done Ben, another good job well done

[Blott]

He is dodgy

[erimus74]

He is dodgy

Disagree Blott, until you, or anyone, can prove without a shadow of doubt that hes dodgy & at the same time, every member of the oopposition parties are clean as a whistle I will believe you, otherwise I wont have any of it & its just hearsay, I will come back with a counter balance that he is a top genuine bloke who I enjoy listening to of his plans for Teesside, who only has the best interests of the people he is representing above himself

[Blott]

He is dodgy

Disagree Blott, until you, or anyone, can prove without a shadow of doubt that hes dodgy & at the same time, every member of the oopposition parties are clean as a whistle I will believe you, otherwise I wont have any of it & its just hearsay, I will come back with a counter balance that he is a top genuine bloke who I enjoy listening to of his plans for Teesside, who only has the best interests of the people he is representing above himself

ask him why he has never sued Private Eye, who have listed his many dodgy deals.

He takes credit for every bit of good news, where is he when the town centre shutting down.

He completely BS about the dredging in the Tees. A 95pc reduction in Lobster and Crabs was down to natural causes. The dredging was a co incidence.

[TerryCochranesSocks]

I wonder why Andy

He is dodgy

Disagree Blott, until you, or anyone, can prove without a shadow of doubt that hes dodgy & at the same time, every member of the oopposition parties are clean as a whistle I will believe you, otherwise I wont have any of it & its just hearsay, I will come back with a counter balance that he is a top genuine bloke who I enjoy listening to of his plans for Teesside, who only has the best interests of the people he is representing above himself

Labour have had their noses in the trough for so long across Teesside, the fact that a Tory Mayor is actually getting things done exposes their years of ineptitude and this rankles their ovine Labour support.

[TMG501]

I think that you should look at Middlesbrough's Labour Council before you start blaming Ben Houchen for the demise of the town centre.

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[8]

Non-metropolitan district
Party in control    Years
   Labour    1973–1996


Non-metropolitan district

Party in control    Years
   Labour    1996–2019
   No overall control
(Independent-Conservative minority administration)    2019–2023
   Labour    2023–present

Ben Houchen was elected as the Mayor of the Tees Valley in May 2017

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Middlesbrough will never flourish whilst Labour rules the roost

[AtomicDog]

He is dodgy

Disagree Blott, until you, or anyone, can prove without a shadow of doubt that hes dodgy & at the same time, every member of the oopposition parties are clean as a whistle I will believe you, otherwise I wont have any of it & its just hearsay, I will come back with a counter balance that he is a top genuine bloke who I enjoy listening to of his plans for Teesside, who only has the best interests of the people he is representing above himself

[John Trebor]

Also a good news announcement about the British Steel arc furnace in Lackenby 👍
Though I see OTR are desperately trying to turn it into bad news.

[erimus74]

Also a good news announcement about the British Steel arc furnace in Lackenby 👍
Though I see OTR are desperately trying to turn it into bad news.

No suprise there then is it

[Blott]

Erimus you asked me;

The political magazine reported that land amounting to some 105 acres – which cost £100mn of public money to regenerate – has been sold by South Tees Developments Ltd at £1 per acre, a total of £110.35 (plus VAT). The two transactions took place in November and December last year. The main beneficiaries are the business leaders who now own 90% of Teesworks Ltd.

The firm was set up by STDC, a public body under Tees Valley Combined Authority, to remediate and redevelop the derelict land. The corporation created Teesworks Ltd as a joint venture, gifting half its shares to four local developers led by Chris Musgrave and Martin Corney. Then in November 2021 a further 40% of the company was transferred to interests controlled by Musgrave and Corney again without charge, leaving STDC with just 10% of the firm they had created.

The freehold sales to Teesworks Ltd are under an option to buy the land of South Bank Quay currently being developed and the land to the south of it also undergoing publicly funded regeneration. The sites will be rented by Korean wind turbine monopile manufacturers SeAH.

An original condition of the shares transfer was that the private shareholders would foot the bill for ongoing demolition and remediation work, but that condition has now been waived and the public purse via STDC will shoulder those future costs.

Demolition and remediation at Teesworks has so far cost STDC £450mn.

But up to now Musgrave and his pals have paid very little for their interest. The official version for their involvement is that they had purchased a strip of land deemed crucial to the Teesworks site, for £500,000.

The developers have already made their return. Private Eye estimated that £40mn from the sale of metal scrap on the land has so far been released to the four developers. The Private Eye report of the fire-sale of land remediated from the public purse is a serious accusation, warranting an official response.

And the mayor's response?
Yet there has been no formal rebuttal from the mayor's office. Our enquiries to his press office were not answered. The only response we can see is Houchen's posts on Facebook. In response to a comment on his Facebook page – "No one on here read Private Eye then?"

[TerryCochranesSocks]

You're making the mistake of believing the opinions of Andy MacDonald to be fact. He knows it isn't otherwise he would step outside of parliamentary privilege and make the same accusations.

£15m was paid - that has been independently verified by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The land being used for the seAH Offshore wind factory had been independently valued at between £11m and £13m.

The remainder of the site had a minus valuation due to it costing £20m a year forever at the time of the BS closure.

Now steel making is returning and the new steel works in the Tees Valley will be supplying steel to the offshore wind factory. It will be employing people and saving the taxpayer the bills it would have faced. Better surely to have some short term costs for a long term return and jobs?

[TerryCochranesSocks]

It's good form incidentally, to say when you are quoting or 'copying and pasting' from someone else. In this instance it is the outrageously left-wing, Labour lie swallowers the Bylines Network.

[erimus74]

Erimus you asked me;

The political magazine reported that land amounting to some 105 acres – which cost £100mn of public money to regenerate – has been sold by South Tees Developments Ltd at £1 per acre, a total of £110.35 (plus VAT). The two transactions took place in November and December last year. The main beneficiaries are the business leaders who now own 90% of Teesworks Ltd.

The firm was set up by STDC, a public body under Tees Valley Combined Authority, to remediate and redevelop the derelict land. The corporation created Teesworks Ltd as a joint venture, gifting half its shares to four local developers led by Chris Musgrave and Martin Corney. Then in November 2021 a further 40% of the company was transferred to interests controlled by Musgrave and Corney again without charge, leaving STDC with just 10% of the firm they had created.

The freehold sales to Teesworks Ltd are under an option to buy the land of South Bank Quay currently being developed and the land to the south of it also undergoing publicly funded regeneration. The sites will be rented by Korean wind turbine monopile manufacturers SeAH.

An original condition of the shares transfer was that the private shareholders would foot the bill for ongoing demolition and remediation work, but that condition has now been waived and the public purse via STDC will shoulder those future costs.

Demolition and remediation at Teesworks has so far cost STDC £450mn.

But up to now Musgrave and his pals have paid very little for their interest. The official version for their involvement is that they had purchased a strip of land deemed crucial to the Teesworks site, for £500,000.

The developers have already made their return. Private Eye estimated that £40mn from the sale of metal scrap on the land has so far been released to the four developers. The Private Eye report of the fire-sale of land remediated from the public purse is a serious accusation, warranting an official response.

And the mayor's response?
Yet there has been no formal rebuttal from the mayor's office. Our enquiries to his press office were not answered. The only response we can see is Houchen's posts on Facebook. In response to a comment on his Facebook page – "No one on here read Private Eye then?"

I did Blott & I have no issues you replying with your post

I dont read private eye, the guardian or any other of those rags

I just read what good people are doing for my area, good or bad & make up my own judgement on folk

[Blott]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

[Blott]

You're making the mistake of believing the opinions of Andy MacDonald to be fact. He knows it isn't otherwise he would step outside of parliamentary privilege and make the same accusations.

£15m was paid - that has been independently verified by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The land being used for the seAH Offshore wind factory had been independently valued at between £11m and £13m.

The remainder of the site had a minus valuation due to it costing £20m a year forever at the time of the BS closure.

Now steel making is returning and the new steel works in the Tees Valley will be supplying steel to the offshore wind factory. It will be employing people and saving the taxpayer the bills it would have faced. Better surely to have some short term costs for a long term return and jobs?

no where does it mention McDonald, he simply plagerised Private Eye.


Acklam Hall was sold for a packet of peanuts. Another shameful exercise.


I have nothing against Houchen, I don't know him.

[erimus74]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

As I said we can pick plusses & minuses againat any politician who gets into power

If things are improved for the good of the people/area then i'm happy with that, who am i to go looking go see if its through dodgy deals

[Gboro64]

Houchen has done what he said he would. He does love his own publicity but generally has done great things for the area. If he was Labour OTR would be lauding his praises but because he's Tory they hate him.
Keep it going Ben.

[Blott]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

As I said we can pick plusses & minuses againat any politician who gets into power

If things are improved for the good of the people/area then i'm happy with that, who am i to go looking go see if its through dodgy deals

you mean you accept the £200m spent on PPE that the Australians would not accept. Corruption is wrong full stop.

[erimus74]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

As I said we can pick plusses & minuses againat any politician who gets into power

If things are improved for the good of the people/area then i'm happy with that, who am i to go looking go see if its through dodgy deals

you mean you accept the £200m spent on PPE that the Australians would not accept. Corruption is wrong full stop.

Blotty I did say my area, we're talking about Houchen dont go all politics with me, we're not OTR now🙄

[Blott]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

As I said we can pick plusses & minuses againat any politician who gets into power

If things are improved for the good of the people/area then i'm happy with that, who am i to go looking go see if its through dodgy deals

you mean you accept the £200m spent on PPE that the Australians would not accept. Corruption is wrong full stop.

Blotty I did say my area, we're talking about Houchen dont go all politics with me, we're not OTR now🙄

it's nothing to do with politics this is corruption. It's mine, your, my kids, your kids money that has went into a few people pockets.


It's wrong.


They pretty much bought to dicks for less than £100, and then got me and you the tax payer to do it up. Oh and BTW they want the £48mof scrap and counting.

If you think that is OK I won't argue.

[erimus74]

I agree he has improved some things, but to think he isn't dodgy is pushing it.

Anyway, get back to my point

I like Houchen, think he's a decent bloke & doing a lot o good to improve the area we live in

As I said we can pick plusses & minuses againat any politician who gets into power

If things are improved for the good of the people/area then i'm happy with that, who am i to go looking go see if its through dodgy deals

you mean you accept the £200m spent on PPE that the Australians would not accept. Corruption is wrong full stop.

Blotty I did say my area, we're talking about Houchen dont go all politics with me, we're not OTR now🙄

it's nothing to do with politics this is corruption. It's mine, your, my kids, your kids money that has went into a few people pockets.


It's wrong.


They pretty much bought to dicks for less than £100, and then got me and you the tax payer to do it up. Oh and BTW they want the £48mof scrap and counting.

If you think that is OK I won't argue.

[Francks left peg]

Imagine this discussion on flyme! I've not heard a mention of scum...yet!