PRESSURE was mounting last night on ministers after the North-East Assembly said it was fully behind Teesport's plans to bring 7,000 jobs to the region.

The unelected regional assembly, set up in 1999 by the Government to strengthen policy making in the British regions, has written to Ports Minister Stephen Ladyman to pledge support for the plans.

Teesport owner PD Ports plc hopes to bring 7,000 jobs to the region through a £300m investment at the port to build a deep-sea container terminal, which would help meet capacity shortages at UK ports and reduce road congestion.

But the Government has already said it is minded to approve a development on the Thames, and will decide on two more congested southern ports before it looks at a national ports strategy, which could allow for more developments in deprived areas.

However, if the two ports in Suffolk are approved for expansion, it will affect the viability of Teesport's plans, which would harm economic growth in the region.

Last night, the assembly called on the Government to urgently issue some policy advice before it decides on the southern ports.

Councillor Alex Watson, chairman of the North-East Assembly, said: "The growth of the region's ports is important to the economic growth of the North-East.

"If more ships came to the North-East rather than the South, it would provide more jobs here and reduce congestion in the South, which can only be good news for the region.

"This is a key opportunity for the Government to take a national perspective on ports."

The assembly has also invited Dr Ladyman to the region to see Teesport's proposals for himself.

Martyn Pellew, group development director at PD Ports, said: "We welcome the support from the regional assembly, and it will aid our argument.

"This is not just a regional issue, it is a national issue. The country doesn't need any more traffic than is necessary on the roads, and this proposal can cut down on the traffic.

"On a regional level, Teesside is well below the national average in terms of employment, and needs this kind of investment."

The Northern Echo is supporting Teesport's plans through its Support Our Port campaign.