THE gateway to a Teesside business park has taken on a new look with the arrival of a large sphere, to promote the idea of recycling.

A mobile crane lifted and lowered the artwork into place on the A66 roundabout at South Bank on Saturday.

The sphere, weighing 5.2 tonnes and measuring more than five metres in diameter, has been created by South Bank-based SBV Fabrications and Site Services. They also constructed the eye-catching steel-pouring ladle, which has pride of place at the next roundabout on the A66.

Its arrival and site preparation, were organised by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's highways partner, Alfred McAlpine.

The globe was commissioned by the council, as part of an ongoing programme to improve the four major A66 entrance points into the South Tees Business Parks.

The council's head of regeneration, Ian Wardle, said: "We are looking to develop the growing economic sector of recycling and sustainable energy in the borough, as well as bolstering our already strong position as a Beacon council for waste management and recycling."

SBV managing director Tony Duffy, also the chairman of the South Tees Business Forum, said it had taken four of his men about four weeks to build the sphere.

He said: "It looks fantastic, and people seem really impressed by it. When people drive by, I think they will take notice."

He said he hoped his company would be involved in the design and creation of the next two pieces of artwork, provided further funding could be secured by the council.

"There has been a substantial amount of investment in south Tees over the past few years, and it is great that local businesses can actually get involved in projects that have a direct impact on the environment in which they work," he added.

The concept for the £165,000 sphere project came from Stokesley artist Steve Tomlinson, with the idea centring around recycling - the sphere's arrows form the universal symbol for recycling.

In the next few weeks, the electrics on the sphere will be completed, and the arrows will be illuminated.

The funding package, which covers the gateway wall and design fees, was secured by the council from Tees Valley Partnership, the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocation, private sources and the council