Logistics

Sector Strength

The freight and logistics sector is crucial for Tees Valley and integral to our plans for economic growth and job creation. There are currently 1,300 logistics businesses based in the area that contribute £533million to the economy each year and employ around 16,500 people. The sector currently makes up 4.8% of employee jobs in Tees Valley, higher than the national average, and this number is increasing. The 8% rise in 2015 shows the strength of the sector in our area.

International Gateway

Tees Valley is an important link in the nation’s supply chain, providing an international gateway for the movement of goods in and out of the country through our deep water port and international airport, delivering equipment and supplies to business and industry to the whole of the UK.

The area is home to the largest container port on the North East coast and the UK’s best connected feeder port accessing 13 strategic markets and connections to the world’s largest shipping lanes.

In addition, the area offers the deepest berths on the east coast of England for bulk cargo, which can accommodate vessels up to 17 metres draft with capability to achieve offloading rates of 40,000 tonnes a day.

There are over 80 berths on the Tees and approximately 30 different companies offering handling for dry bunks, liquid bulk, general cargo and unitised traffic.

Sea

There are around ten miles of operational river along the Tees. Between them, the ports along the River Tees and at Hartlepool have 80 berths, including the deepest berth on the east coast, six roro berths, 6.4km of quayside and nearly 2million sq ft of well-connected warehousing. The ports are rail-connected and offer lock-free access to the North Sea and have numerous high bay fabrication halls and heavy load-out quays.

Rail

Tees Valley is major hub for rail freight with more rail-linked sites than any other comparable area in the north of England. A number of rail-connected facilities are in operation, handling more than 100 freight trains each week. In addition, the Tees is the only port in the north of England with existing intermodal rail services operating directly from quayside facilities.

Our facilities with deep-sea berths can handle intermodal trains up to 692m in length, exceeding the average length of intermodal train currently on the UK network.

Road

Tees Valley’s strategic road network is uncongested and fast-flowing. Proximity to the A1(M) and the A19 provide fast access to the wider UK road network and enables a lorry to complete a return trip to Scotland, the North West or the Midlands within a driver’s shift, or two return trips to South Yorkshire.

Air

Recently brought back into public ownership, Teesside International Airport connects the region to more than 300 global destinations with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. There are three daily connections to the world-renowned and award-winning Schiphol hub as well as multiple daily flights to Aberdeen with connectivity to the Highlands & Islands and Scandinavia with Eastern Airways

The airport is already home to a number of businesses including freight forwarders, engineering companies, aircraft dismantling and recycling experts, training schools and extreme sports. Unique transport links mean that any office, warehouse or hangar space at the airport is hot property.

Opportunities at the site include freight handling & distribution, assembly & recycling facilities, aviation maintenance & industrial processes, aircraft hangarage & storage, general industrial & logistics

Major airport infrastructure includes a 2291m runway, CAT 6 Fire and 24/7 ATC.