Turmoil at the Tees Valley Combined Authority TVCA continues to be mired in controversy as the official auditors refuse to sign off its latest set of accounts on the grounds of 'irregularities'. Our report gets down to the detail: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/turmoil-at-t...

Tees Seal Pups vs Defra In the week the government reveals its Environment Improvement Plan, our investigation into the seal pup mortality in Tees Estuary shows how hard it may be to persuade Defra to take it seriously: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/defra-in-den...

Put Out More Flags? Like it or loathe it, our towns are now adorned with flags. Darlington has hundreds. Who's putting them up? Who is supporting them? Is the council dealing with the anti-social behaviour that has accompanied it? Our report is here www.teesvalleymonitor.com/flagging-dar...

Request for Information about Teesside Airport Tees Valley Monitor received correspondence today containing information about Teesside Airport, but without contact details. We would like to appeal to its author to contact us by email on [email protected], or DM here

More Toxic Waste Heading for the Tees Valley? Where Will It End Up? Application for a permit to dump radioactive waste at Port Clarence while toxic waste treated as non hazardous at Hartlepool landfill. Is public adequately protected? Our report is here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/toxic-waste-...

Tees Valley mayor holds first Question Time at Yarm School Involving some unkind remarks about Private Eye, some reticence about the latest deal that will enrich property developers, and some dubious assertions about NE Security and the Freeport: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/houchen-sees...

No Comment: Deafening Silence from Tees Valley MPs on the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza. We asked six MPs their opinion of the government's arms trade with Israel. Their unwillingness to respond raises issues about democratic accountability. Our report: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/no-comment--...

Permit Applied for to Allow Dumping of Radioactive Waste at Port Clarence. Public consultation through Environment Agency is now open. However, contacting local MPs may prove more effective. Our report is here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/dumping-of-r...

Closure of Ensus Bioethanol Plant has implications for public health. A statement on the prospect of plant closure and a report by the Royal College of Physicians on improving UK air quality in the UK. Our report highlights the connection between the two. www.teesvalleymonitor.com/public-healt...

Crisis at Teesside Bioethanol Plant Recent US-UK trade deal allows US bioethanol manufacturers greater access to UK market, causing a crisis for UK producers, one of which is Ensus at Wilton. Knock-on effect on Teesside is considerable. Our report: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/us-uk-trade-...

Another Day, Another Setback for Teesside Airport Easyjet announces it will set up a base at Newcastle Airport. How did the management at Teesside let that opportunity slip past them? In order to have any chance of financial viability, Teesside needs a low cost airline to set up a base there.

TVCA Cabinet: Standing on the Deck of the Titanic While the mayor proposes inadequate measures to address criticism of the Authority by external auditors, cabinet members fail to challenge them. Are we waiting in vain for them to assert themselves? www.teesvalleymonitor.com/tvca-in-cris...

Another Day, Another Setback for Teesside Airport Easyjet announces it will set up a base at Newcastle Airport. How did the management at Teesside let that opportunity slip past them?

Teesside Airport Closed at Short Notice Flight FR5958 from Alicante on 2 May had to divert to Manchester as Teesside closed shortly before it was due to land. TVM set out to discover why lay behind the chaos: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/teesside-air...

Redundancies at Teesside Airport? Questions raised about the mayor's claims of job creation after £12.5 million investment. And further questions about the TVCA's commitment to supporting local business. Our report is here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/tees-valley-...

Reality Bites for Houchen as Best Value Notice Starts to Take Effect Tees Valley mayor will step down as chair of three development corporations. Why didn't he do it sooner? And what else might be in the pipeline? Our report is here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/reality-bite...

Interesting

@teesvalleymonitor.bsky.social Great in Bedford getting a universal theme park,Can we do this @ Teesworks ? it would be Benny Land,they’ll have virtual tours round the site and see all the virtual jobs 👍 as in reality that’s all we have £546 million peed away and Lord Airport has conned us all

while we welcome the award of a best value notice, we question why it took so long. And yes, Labour MPs in opposition did more shouting than was prudent about the NAO. But the TVCA is still functioning so we are interested to see whether the BVN is robust enough to turn things around

Tees Valley Authority issued Best Value Notice After months of speculation the government has today finally published proposals to scrutinise the dysfunctional authority led by Lord Ben Houchen. The recent cabinet meeting highlights some of its issues www.teesvalleymonitor.com/tees-valley-...

The issue in Redcar planning seems to be with the high number of cases that are decided by officers and not passed on to the planning committee. And that committee is itself dysfunctional. Grangetown incinerator is an example of this

Yes. But Redcar Council Planning Department seems to be a very dark place. Who knows what will happen?

We think the Turners are a perfect fit for Reform UK, where being loud and obnoxious are essential qualifications. And, yes the Stephen Green-Turners mutual admiration is very interesting.

@teesvalleymonitor.bsky.social why do Reform want the caustic Turners in their ranks? it’s beyond sense & a certain ticket to failure? their cheerleader is a Steve Green who is an interesting guy 17 active directorships all based at 1 address in Redcar but not a great deal of cash,what his agenda?

At least Doncaster Sheffield was run as a business and could be again. On the other hand, Teesside is a vanity project by the Tees Valley mayor that serves no one's interests other than his business associates. And the government is standing back and allowing it to happen

Flights to Oblivion: Houchen Proposes New ‘Investment’ in Teesside Airport Is it a grant or is it a loan? The mayor is looking for agreement on £12.5 million. Time for the TVCA cabinet to assert itself and make demands of the mayor and his pet project. www.teesvalleymonitor.com/flights-to-o...

A Life Less Innocent ex-PCC, Steve Turner, alleges he’s victim of witch hunt, while TVM reveals more complaints about his conduct in office, some from a Tory Party insider. Plus, his pitch to take over Reform UK, Redcar: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/perpetual-vi...

Ex-PCC, Steve Turner, makes a splash in the Sunday Times Political editor, Caroline Wheeler, reports shocking allegations by ex-Cleveland PCC, Turner, against local MP and current PCC. Not as shocking as his own conduct in office, however. Our review here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/good-times--...

Nightmare in Paradise A Teesside Couple who retired to set up their dream home in Thailand are currently facing charges of assault there. The charges appear suspect, and the couple victims of bullying. The Foreign Office is indifferent. Here is their story: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/an-urgent-ca...

BP Cancels Green Hydrogen Project at Teesworks Report in @EnergyVoiceNews states that BP is walking away from this project - Hygreen - although the NZT gas-powered power station and carbon capture projects will continue. BP will be focusing instead on oil and gas exploration.

Chaos and Confusion at the Tees Valley Combined Authority Meetings drowned out by low flying aircraft; board members anxious to voice support for the mayor; lack of co-ordination at Teesworks; and more. Ray Casey has the details of a farcical operation: northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

In case you missed it yesterday... The latest in the Teesworks saga. Difficult to see what else needs to happen for the government to take action.

Controversy over New Middlesbrough Mosque Abates Before Opening Ceremony But who is responsible for stoking tensions? And who reduced them? Read our report here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/new-middlesb...

Pollution in the Tees An event in Stokesley on 18 February aims to present the evidence of ongoing hazards to marine and coastal life around the Tees. Presented by Simon Gibbon:

Royal Visit to Teesside One of the good bits that the local press missed out was the performance by North East Opera. Read about it here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/middlesbroug...

Good news about accountability at Hartlepool and Middlesbrough Development Corporations? Good in parts would be our verdict on what Ray Casey reports here: northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

Teesside Freeport Welcomes its First Freeloader Tees Valley Business Board chair is awarded contract worth £170,000 as ambassador for Teesside Freeport. Could she have lobbied for that? Will the Scrutiny committees investigate? Our report is here: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/teesside-fre...

Background Story of the Teesworks Scandal In part 2 of his report, Ray Casey provides a neat summary of how the developers, Corney and Musgrave inserted themselves into the compulsory purchase of steelworks land, then into the development corporation itself: northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

Hi🦀 #BenHouchen🦀 fans Ben has been all over the news for his letter blaming Labour for the collapse of the #Teesside Electric Arc Furnace deal In this🧵 I'm going to shred the numerous lies contained in his letter. But first, here's Ben's trail of tears: www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2485078...

Tees Valley Mayor in Pitch to Become Elon Musk's British Best Friend Houchen has been on social media to make his feelings known about the debate on grooming gangs in parliament today.

FT today reports mounting pressure on Angela Rayner to launch NAO Teesworks Inquiry Meanwhile Ray Casey details just how inventive Houchen and others have been about the site, and busts some of the false claims made about it: northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

Hi 🦀 #BenHouchen 🦀fans I've written an article for @nebylines.bsky.social about the publication of the Teesside Airport accounts on Christmas Eve. Posterity will not be kind to Ben Houchen ☹️ #Teesside #TeessideAirport northeastbylines.co.uk/region/teess...

Teesside Airport Finds a Good Day to Bury Bad News Christmas Eve saw the publication of Teesside Airport’s Annual Statement of Accounts … www.teesvalleymonitor.com/teesside-air...

Actually, one of the things we have wondered about is whether devolution really will be welcomed everywhere. Centralised government has led to inequalities. The Tees Valley has suffered, but presumably other regions have benefited. Will they want devolved government?

Winter Solstice Over for Another Year ... Not much in the papers ... A good time for the serious reader to consider a major constitutional issue: English Devolution (and why the Tees Valley mayor is a spanner in the works): www.teesvalleymonitor.com/the-english-...

Government Dithering over Houchen Will they or won't they investigate the Tees Valley mayor? While we wait for the government to make its mind up, Houchen's propaganda machine continues to post misinformation. TVM has catalogued some recent examples: www.teesvalleymonitor.com/teesworks-th...

To which must be added the appointment of an ingenu, Pete Hegseth, to the Pentagon. A triangle is thus created - Netanyahu, Huckabee, loyal know-nothing. Hegseth will do what he is told. But what will that be? There may be more to Trump's nascent foreign policy than incursions into the West Bank.

PD Ports announces clean-up at South Gare South Gare used to be one Teesside's hidden gems, enormous sandy beaches looked after by an army of volunteers, and now also by PD Ports, which is taking action against anti-social behaviour there:

Thank you

Tees Valley Monitor welcomes expansion of Bluesky Time was TVM had a robust and engaged following on X. That audience has now largely evaporated. We find Bluesky the most user-friendly of the alternatives. TVM remains the main outlet for news and critical comment that the local press avoids