Two Tees Valley Mayoral candidates have continued to clash over Teesside’s airport.

Ben Houchen suggests it could close under Labour – while Labour candidate Chris McEwan has responded saying he ‘wholeheartedly’ supports the airport and would not demolish or close it if he is elected later this week.

The row continued as Lord Houchen, the incumbent mayor, said papers showed Cllr McEwan was supportive of previous plans to build houses on the airport site.

In 2016, the then owners of the airport submitted plans for a housing development to be built on the north of the site, saying proceeds from the development would secure its survival in the medium term – for a minimum of five years.

Darlington Council agreed to the plans but in 2018, a £40m deal to bring the beleaguered airport back into public ownership was struck, a key Mayoral pledge by Lord Houchen at the time.

At a BBC Mayoral Hustings event last week, Lord Houchen said council papers showed Darlington Cllr McEwan twice supported Peel’s proposal to build houses on the airport site which Lord Houchen said would have led to its closure.

Posting on Facebook, Lord Houchen said: “Labour sold off our airport to Peel (for nothing) and then helped them run it into the ground. The Labour candidate in the mayoral election ‘sought to build’ 350 houses on the airport, which would have seen our airport closed… all before he took a seat on the airport board with Peel.

“Don’t give him another chance to destroy the progress we’ve made. Don’t let Labour close our airport.”

But Mr McEwan hit back, saying he “did not have any intent to close the airport” and that he has “always supported it.” He said the airport was “absolutely critical” for the economy and pride as a region going forward.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I wholeheartedly support our airport and I know what it means to our communities. Growing up, my dad worked at Teesside Airport.

“I don’t want to see any services taken away from the people of Teesside – we need more investment and opportunities, not less.”

The decision to bring the airport back into public hands for £40m was controversial with some arguing it has not proved value for money. At the heated BBC event last week, Lib Dem mayoral candidate Simon Thorley also said he would not close the airport but said it was an “extremely poor investment.”

“The current situation is we own an airport and it’s certain that nobody is going to be buying this airport off us,” he said.

Mr Thorley said “nobody is telling the truth about the airport” – adding that both candidates “have fundamentally the same plan” – which is “if the airport is not commercially viable it should be sold off and houses built.”

In January, annual accounts showed the airport remained in the red – although the overall loss has dropped by more than 60 per cent from £11.9m in 21/22 to £4.5m the following financial year. Turnover more than doubled as international travel returned following the impact of the Covid pandemic and Lord Houchen has insisted his ten-year plan is working.

The three candidates are battling it out in a bid to win votes as the race for Tees Valley Mayor post draws closer.

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Meanwhile, former Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to suggest his Labour successor Chris Cooke was going to announce his resignation from the board of the Middlesbrough Development Corporation. This followed the resignation of Paul Booth, who has been a member of the board since its inception.

Mr Preston said: “Expect more dirty tricks in the Tees Valley Mayor race this week, including the Middlesbrough Mayor resigning from the MDC in order to make Ben Houchen look bad.” He went on to say: “There’s been a concerted plan to cause trouble.”

Speaking last week, Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke, expressed his commitment to his place on the MDC board. Following Mr Preston’s Tweet, Mr Cooke said he believes the former mayor is “trying to stir trouble”, there was “absolutely no truth” in his comments and he would not be walking away from the board. “That will continue to be my message,” he added.

Mr Cooke told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there were “obvious problems” at the MDC and “it can’t continue as it is”. As reported, he criticised a decision to postpone last week’s MDC planning meeting at short notice. The MDC said, following the “late apologies from Lord Houchen, who was chairing the meeting, the decision was made to postpone as it would be “inquorate”.

Mr Cooke had planned to propose a Middlesbrough Health Hub at the meeting which would see the Live Well Centre services moved from its current site at the Dundas Arcade moved to the Cleveland Centre.

Polling day for the Tees Valley Mayor election is Thursday and the count will take place at Thornaby Pavilion Leisure Centre on Friday. Following the Elections Act 2022, the Mayor will be elected using the first past the post system for the first time.