Labour plans for investment in Middlesbrough have not been considered after a meeting of the Middlesbrough Development Corporation (MDC), the new planning body for Middlesbrough’s Town Centre, scheduled for Wednesday 24 April, was cancelled with just hours notice, following Lord Houchen’s failure to attend.
Labour Mayor of Middlesbrough Chris Cooke planned to propose a Middlesbrough Health Hub which would provide a variety of much-needed health services for local residents including mental health services, dental care, addiction support and sexual health services. Houchen’s decision to not attend this meeting has now pushed back plans for this investment, given the meeting was cancelled as a result.
Deputy Mayor Councillor Philippa Storey said: “We have been concerned about the lack of health services, particularly dental care and mental health services, in Middlesbrough for many years as we have seen the Tory health crisis unfold in our town while Middlesbrough residents have paid the price. We have all either struggled to see an NHS dentist ourselves or know somebody who has.
“It is absolutely shameful Lord Houchen has decided he has better things to do than to consider a much-needed health project proposed by Labour Mayor Chris Cooke which would have improved the health of Middlesbrough residents, who have been completely forgotten by Lord Houchen and his party.”
Councillor Theo Furness, Executive Member for Regeneration on Middlesbrough Council, added:
“Short notice cancellations of important meetings on Lord Houchen’s watch are becoming all too common, blocking investment and progress in Middlesbrough.
“The MDC, which Labour opposed after foreseeing the clear problems with the idea, is now failing on its own terms. We have non-party political board members resigning from it because they can’t work with Lord Houchen and an increasingly unacceptable level of meeting cancellation with real consequences for residents, including delays to investment and projects as happened last week.
“It is clear Labour was right to oppose the MDC because it is not delivering for residents with Lord Houchen at wheel. Frustratingly, the Tory Government pressed ahead with its creation despite repeated warnings from Labour and residents it would be bad for Middlesbrough’s future.”
This article is based on a news release from Middlesbrough Labour
