Teesside trade & construction news

Weekly coverage of the building projects, housing schemes, contracts and skills stories that shape work for trades and homeowners across Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Hartlepool and Darlington. Prefer to listen? Our sister show, the Teesside Trade Podcast, rounds up the week's stories in ten minutes.

Latest stories

Large industrial chemical refinery complex under construction with cranes and pipework on Teesside

21 September 2026

Billingham lithium refinery offered £18.3m Government backing for £185m plant

Tees Valley Lithium has been offered up to £18.3m from the Government's DRIVE35 fund towards its £185m refinery at Billingham Chemical Complex, a project expected to support around 1,100 construction jobs.

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New red brick homes under construction on a large housing development on the edge of a northern English town

14 September 2026

Almost 400 homes approved at Harrowgate Lane as Avant Homes wins go ahead in Stockton

Stockton Council's planning committee has approved three linked applications from Avant Homes North East for 394 homes at Tithebarns Fields near Harrowgate Lane, a key part of the West Stockton Sustainable Urban Extension.

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New low rise housing under construction on brownfield land near a waterfront in a northern English town

7 September 2026

Middlehaven phase one plans revealed with 462 homes for Middlesbrough

Capital&Centric has released details of the first phase of its Middlehaven neighbourhood in Middlesbrough, with 462 homes proposed and a public consultation on 10 September.

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Young construction apprentice working alongside an experienced tradesperson on a building site

31 August 2026

£600,000 left in Tees Valley levy pot as apprentice scheme hits 89 placements

Tees Valley's Apprenticeship Levy Matching Service has pledged nearly £1.8m from 11 donor firms, funding 89 apprentices, with £600,000 still available.

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Excavator demolishing the upper floors of a derelict multi-storey building behind scaffolding

24 August 2026

Golden Eagle demolition begins in Thornaby after 470 tonnes of asbestos removed

MGL Demolition has started taking down the six-storey former Golden Eagle hotel in Thornaby after a year-long asbestos strip-out, finishing in autumn.

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Modest converted hotel building on a road opposite heavy industrial works

24 August 2026

South Bank contractor hotel gets licence as Teesworks demand grows

The Commercial on Middlesbrough Road has an alcohol licence for a 42-room hotel aimed at Teesworks and freeport contractors, with 13 jobs initially.

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Planners studying a regional development map and drawings on a table

24 August 2026

Stantec appointed to write Tees Valley's 20-year spatial development strategy

Tees Valley Combined Authority has appointed Stantec to lead a 20-year spatial strategy for housing, infrastructure and industry.

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Young engineering apprentices training with tools in a workshop

17 August 2026

British Steel takes on 17 apprentices at Teesside and Skinningrove mills

Seventeen apprentices start electrical, mechanical and structural roles at British Steel's Northern mills next month, part of a 70-strong intake.

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Piling rig and crane working on a new bridge over a beck in a small village

17 August 2026

BAM starts on site as £13m Skinningrove flood alleviation scheme gets under way

BAM has started construction on the £13m Skinningrove flood scheme, replacing Stone Row Bridge and protecting more than 100 homes.

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New brick bungalows and houses under construction on the edge of open fields

17 August 2026

Stockton weighs up 160-home Yarm Back Lane scheme as Norton affordable housing plan lodged

Two housing applications have landed with Stockton Council in a week: up to 160 homes off Darlington Back Lane and 12 affordable homes in Norton.

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The new Stockton Waterfront urban park beside the River Tees

7 August 2026

Stockton's £23m Waterfront urban park opens after Esh Construction transformation

Esh Construction has delivered the £23m urban park reconnecting Stockton High Street with the riverside, with a large timber play area now starting.

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Bungalows under construction on a Middlesbrough housing site

3 August 2026

Work starts on £9m bungalow scheme in Middlesbrough's Thorntree

Construction has begun on a £9m development of 40 affordable-rent homes in Thorntree, led by housing provider Thirteen with RE:GEN North East and Homes England.

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Aircraft hangar under construction at Teesside International Airport

22 July 2026

£50m aircraft facility at Teesside Airport to create 250 jobs

Alfor Aviation has signed a 50-year deal for an aircraft conversion campus at Teesside Airport, with hangars, warehouses and offices to begin soon.

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Rooftop solar panels on a Teesport warehouse

21 July 2026

PD Ports switches on one of Teesside's largest rooftop solar arrays at Teesport

PD Ports has commissioned a 675kW solar PV system on the largest warehouse roof on the Tees Bulks Quay, with 2,000 panels and 20km of cabling.

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Construction workers on a UK building site

15 July 2026

Construction needs 206,000 more workers by 2030, and Teesside feels it first

The CITB says UK construction must recruit 41,000 extra workers a year to 2030, and Teesside's trades are already stretched across live schemes.

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New-build homes with rooftop solar panels and EV charging

9 July 2026

243-home Wynyard scheme approved on casting vote, with solar and EV charging as standard

Stockton councillors approved Stonebridge Homes' 243-home Wynyard Park scheme by the chair's casting vote, with solar panels and EV charging throughout.

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A large housing development under construction in East Cleveland

1 July 2026

323-home East Cleveland scheme approved at Skelton

Barratt Homes has secured reserved matters approval for 323 homes on a 17.8-hectare site east and west of Saltburn Lane in Skelton, East Cleveland.

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Industrial construction at a deep-water quay on the River Tees

18 June 2026

Net Zero Teesside construction ramps up: quay upgrade complete, local firm wins piping contract

Redcar Bulk Terminal's deep-water quay upgrade is complete and the first NZT Power equipment is on site, as Cavendish Northern wins a piping contract.

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