Friday 15 February 2008

£248,000 for more "gateway" art on the A66 at South Bank

Larger than lifesize models of a welder and a puddler, symbolising Redcar and Cleveland's industrial heritage, will form the final Gateway features in the South Tees Business Park from the A66.

Redcar and Cleveland Council starts work on site on Monday, February 18 for the scheme which will feature walls interlinked by bespoke railings outlining the Eston Hills with the welder and puddler in the foreground on the verge by the South Tees Business Centre, at the junction of Normanby Road.

The figures are being created by Stokesley artist Steve Tomlinson, working with Robinson Engineering at their foundry in Liverton Mines, to cast and galvanise the features which will be installed by Carillion Infrastructure Services, the Council's strategic partner. Work should be completed by the end of March.

Steve explained: "This is the last of the Gateway features I have been asked to work on and I felt it was important to show the hard work that's gone into developing the local industry."

The Gateway, costing £182,000 in total, has been funded jointly by Single Programme money through One NorthEast and the Tees Valley Partnership, with match funding from the Council and from Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF).

Work will also get underway on six smaller feature walls in the South Tees Business Parks and Skippers Lane Industrial Estates costing £66,000 as part of the NRF South Tees Environment project.

The Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development Councillor Mark Hannon said: "We're here to create jobs, to improve the quality of life for everyone. And these pieces of work can be signposts to our continuing efforts at regenerating the Borough."

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