Tees Valley Mayor and Hartlepool Council Leader Shane Moore have urged
billionaire entrepreneur and founder of Tesla Motors to look
again at building the state-of-the-art electric car in Teesside
after the company was forced to delay construction of a new
factory in Germany.
In a letter to Elon Musk, Mayor Houchen and Cllr Moore said that
construction of the Gigafactory could start as soon as February
2021 and that the region offers ‘hundreds of acres of identified
ideal developable land, with the can-do attitude in political
leadership necessary to ensure delivery of major projects.’
Last year the California-based auto manufacturer undertook a
search across Europe for a suitable site for its new car plant,
along with the world's largest battery factory. After scouring
sites, a final shortlist of two locations, Grünheide in Germany
and Hartlepool, was drawn up.
The move by Mayor Houchen comes after the electric carmaker was
ordered for a second time to stop site preparation in Germany
after a successful court injunction by environmentalists. Tesla
has been clearing forest near Berlin, for its first European car
and battery plant. But opponents argued this will endanger the
habitats of lizards and snakes.
A court in Frankfurt ordered forest clearing to be halted,
pending further examinations that habitats of sand lizards and
smooth snakes, both of which are protected species, are being
destroy.
Mayor Houchen said: “When it comes to the skills needed to build
an electric car and associated battery factory there is no better
workforce than what is available here in Teesside, Darlington and
Hartlepool. We have the automotive experience; we are leaders in
clean energy, and we lead the world in chemicals and precision
manufacturing.
“Site preparation work for Tesla’s first European manufacturing
plant in Germany has already been halted twice due to legal
challenges from environmental campaigners and it is not hard to
see more challenges if the future which would inevitably put back
the start of construction and production. Tesla would not have
any of those problems here, we have the land and we have the
highly skilled workforce both for car manufacturing and the
battery plant.
“So, if Tesla does not want to miss out as other high-end car
manufactures move into electric car space, I would urge the
company to look again at Teesside for the plant.
“And if Mr Musk and the Board at Tesla needs reassuring at how
fast we can do things here, I would highlight the fact we were
able to secure planning for 4.5million sq ft of manufacturing
space – the largest planning application int the north of England
- in just four months without a single objection.”
Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council,
said: “I am delighted Mayor Houchen is joining me in urging Tesla
Motors to re-consider the location of its huge new Gigafactory
and to opt for Hartlepool instead.
“Having previously made a shortlist of two, the town stands ready
to welcome the company with open arms.
“Such a huge and important development would have a truly
transformational effect on Hartlepool and surrounding areas in
terms of the new jobs it would create and also the wider benefits
that would be generated for the regional economy.”
“Hartlepool stands ready to roll up our sleeves and start
building”.
