A round up of Local News in Redcar and Cleveland for 6th February 2016

Unions and politicians have raised concerns over who will pay for the clean-up of Redcar’s derelict steelworks.

The former SSI works, which cover an area of almost 2,000 acres, have been left idle since the Thai company went into liquidation last October.

Estimates put the cost of cleaning up the site at many hundreds of millions of pounds. Much of the land is thought to be contaminated, following over a century of steelmaking at the site.

Dave Cocks, who was the technology manager at the plant when it was mothballed by former owners Corus in 2010, has estimated that the clean up could cost more than a billion pounds.

Now Teesside’s Labour MPs Anna Turley and Tom Blenkinsop have written to the Government’s Business Minister Anna Soubry, saying that the site plays “a key role in the economic and social regeneration” of Teesside.

They say that the government should foot the bill following its decision to reject plans to fund the £35m required to mothball the site.

 

An inquest has heard that a motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries after crashing on the A174 Parkway at a speed of up to 106mph.

30-year-old Richard Bell lost control of his Honda motorbike on October 9th last year after clipping the rear of a silver Volkswagen Polo on the A174 eastbound as they passed under the Flatts Lane overbridge.

The inquest was told that other motorists had seen the bike undertaking, overtaking and travelling along the central white lines shortly before the crash.

The collision caused Mr Bell to be thrown from his bike and into the central reservation safety bar, which caused devastating brain and spinal injuries.

He was taken to James Cook University Hospital where his life support was turned off the following day.

Clare Bailey, Acting Teesside Coroner, said that “for whatever reason” Mr Bell rode at speed that day and “lost control and was unable to judge his movements.”

She concluded that he died as a result of an accident.

 

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, has chosen Teenage Cancer Trust as her charity of the year in memory of 15-year-old Georgina Anderson from Marske.

Georgina passed away in November 2013, just four months after being diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer. In those few months following her diagnosis, she courageously fought the disease and pursued her dream of having her music heard around the world.

Since then, Georgina's family - Paul, Helen and Joe - as well as friends and others, have raised thousands for Teenage Cancer Trust in Georgina’s memory.

The charity works to support young cancer patients and their families with expert care and support so that they do not have to face cancer on their own.

Anna and her constituency office team will be taking part in challenges and holding events throughout the year, including cycling the coast to coast, to raise as much money as they can for the Trust.

She kicked off the campaign with Redcar Town under-18s girls team who are wearing Teenage Cancer Trust kits this season, sponsored by Anna on behalf of the charity.


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