Two creative hubs planned for Middlesbrough and Hartlepool

Plans for two linked digital and creative hubs in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool have been backed within the Tees Valley Investment Zone, although each project still needs an approved business case before its final cost is settled.

Tees Valley Combined Authority approved the Investment Zone capital programme at its latest Cabinet meeting. The programme includes a Digital and Creative Enterprise and Innovation Hub in Middlesbrough and a Creative Production Hub in Hartlepool, with both facilities intended for completion in 2029.

Two centres with different jobs to do

The Middlesbrough hub would focus on business growth, innovation and turning new ideas into commercial products. It is intended to build on the town's existing Boho digital cluster, where technology and creative firms already work around Middlehaven. The authority estimates a cost of between £7 million and £10 million.

In Hartlepool, the proposed centre would serve creative production companies, independent creators and businesses supplying film and television work. Plans include specialist facilities and shared equipment, adding to the production infrastructure around Northern Studios and the wider Production Village. The authority's estimate for the Hartlepool hub is between £3 million and £5 million.

A further £3 million to £5 million is proposed for technology and equipment shared across the two sites. Taken together, the current estimates put the hubs and their shared kit at between £13 million and £20 million, but that range is not a final budget.

What has been decided, and what has not

The decision gives the projects a place in the region's capital programme. It does not yet amount to a construction contract, a confirmed site for either building or a guaranteed opening date. Tees Valley Combined Authority says final costs remain subject to approval of the individual business cases.

The announcement also refers to an independent review which identified strong digital, creative and research activity in Tees Valley, alongside a need for more space, facilities and infrastructure to help firms grow. The review itself was not linked from the announcement, so its methodology and detailed findings cannot be assessed from the published material.

The wider Investment Zone is a £160 million, ten-year programme for digital and creative industries. The authority forecasts that the whole programme could support more than 2,000 jobs and unlock £175 million of investment. Those figures cover the Investment Zone as a whole. They should not be read as jobs or investment already secured by these two hubs.

Existing foundations in both towns

Middlesbrough's Boho area has been developed as a base for digital and technology businesses close to the railway station and Middlehaven. In Hartlepool, Northern Studios already offers large-scale dry-hire studios, green-screen space and support for production crews from its Lynn Street site.

The proposed hubs are meant to work as a connected system rather than two isolated buildings. The Combined Authority says businesses would also be linked to region-wide support, specialist technology and industry contacts. How firms will qualify, what access will cost and who will operate the facilities have not yet been set out.

What happens next

The next meaningful test is the business-case process. That should establish the preferred locations, detailed designs, delivery timetable, operating model and firmer costs. Until those decisions are published, the 2029 completion target remains an intention rather than a fixed opening date.

Businesses can follow the wider programme through the Tees Valley Investment Zone page. Production companies seeking information about existing Hartlepool facilities can contact Northern Studios at its Lynn Street base.