Work under way to transform mothballed Steel House - helping people back into employment in the process

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen welcomed 15 new workers to Teesworks to the site on June 3.

The building has been a significant landmark since it was opened in 1978 as the former headquarters of British Steel for its Redcar steelworks operation.

The building and connected data centre have been mothballed since the closure of SSI Steelworks in October 2015.

Work has begun to strip the building, remove more than 3,500 pieces of furniture and equipment and establish safe zones for surveyors and architects to investigate the condition of the building.

The initial clearance and survey work is planned to take three-to-six months, with works continuing over the following 18-to-24 months, by which time the first tenants are expected to arrive.

The workers on site were recruited via Teesworks Skills Academy, established to help local people take advantage of job opportunities at Teesworks by training them in skills they need and linking them with employers recruiting across the site.

Mayor Houchen said: “Just a few short months ago, I revealed plans of how we were going to preserve, upgrade and redevelop Steel House, bringing it back into use and into the 21st century and today workers are on the ground to help make that vision a reality.

“These are the latest well-paid, good-quality jobs we’re creating right here right now getting people into work through the Teesworks Skills Academy, which is already a great success with more than 1,000 people submitting their CVs to date, on top of almost 3,000 enquiries.”

He added: “I have always said that, where practical, we’d try to keep some of the site’s most iconic structures and this work will give a much-needed upgrade to the building. When complete, it will project the confidence we have in the site and, along with the new state-of-the-art gatehouse, will help wow investors looking to base themselves here.”

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