THE Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government visited Redcar today (Friday) to discuss with the town's MP what the £25m fund would be spent on.

Robert Jenrick, who is also the MP for Newark, met with Jacob Young to see the Transformation and Culture and Leisure Anchor projects, including the seafront and Esplanade.

Mr Jenrick said: "I'm delighted to visit Redcar to announce the £25m stronger town fund with the council and the local community it brings millions of pounds of investment for town centre regeneration, tourism, culture and skills for the town and really to try and make it better after the pandemic.

"The £25m will fund a series of projects, the centre of which, is regeneration of the Esplanade, the shops and the setting around the seafront. It will help to regenerate that which has sat empty and derelict for a long time. Including the former Woolworths and M&S building.

"People will be able to walk from the beautiful seafront to the High Street to an attractive new public space.

"From the town's fund we'll be investing in Redcar, in Hartlepool, in Stockton and in Middlesbrough, this builds on all of the work that the Mayor, Ben Houchen, has been doing to try and get good quality jobs and bring investment to the area. And of course, the Chancellor announced in the Budget that the Teesworks site is now going to the country's first and largest Freeport.

"It was brilliant to visit Redcar and be shown around by Jacob Young, the Member of Parliament. Jacob explained to me his plan for the town, which is about restoring and regenerating the town centre."

This comes a day after the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, visited Redcar.

Ms Patel met with the new Police Commissioner, Steve Turner.