Just the jobs
Jobs, thousands of them, are said to be heading our way - thanks mainly to a tech deal struck as US president Donald Trump arrived for his second state visit to the UK.
Part of that deal will see British company Nscale work with US giants Nvidia and OpenAI to establish AI firm Stargate UK and the creation of an AI Growth Zone in the North East.
The zone will have a base at Cobalt in North Tyneside and also take in the massive data centre being built in Cambois. The Government said partnership with the US could generate more than 5,000 jobs and attract up to £30 billion in private investment.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We have the skills and brainpower in our tech sector and universities, and now we can match that with the new investment this Growth Zone will bring to the North East from around the world.”
Professor Chris Day, vice-chancellor and president of Newcastle University, said: “This investment will enable us to expand training in AI, data science, cloud infrastructure and data-centre engineering. It will be vital in upskilling the local workforce that will benefit from new jobs in this key growth sector.”
Let’s talk
QT columnist Arlen Pettitt has two concerns about the AI Growth Zone announcement - one economic and the other philosophical.
“If we are talking about data centres as the core element of this investment, they are energy-hungry, but not people-hungry,” he writes in his Wor Room newsletter.
“The estimates of thousands of jobs which come with these kinds of announcements usually include construction roles (which are often staffed from outside the region) and when you boil it down to the permanent, high-value tech roles, you're talking about dozens rather than thousands.”
As for the philosophical concern: “As a nation, we haven't got ourselves sorted on what we think of AI, and we certainly haven't got sensible regulation in place.
“As it stands, the Government is leaning heavily into AI as something which is going to improve people's lives, draw in investment and create jobs… but with that lean comes a favouring of big tech (usually based outside of the UK) over everything else.
“The general public are rightly still wary of something they don't really get yet, and no one is tackling that national conversation. I think we need to have it before we get too much further down the line.”
Not yet
Teesworks in Redcar was not included in the announcement on AI growth zones, despite Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen saying the Government had given its commitment to award the site the same status.
Sunday’s Eyes & Ears Extra 14.09.25 contained a report from The Telegraph that the Government had sided with a proposal for a data centre at Teesworks rather than an overlapping ‘blue’ hydrogen scheme proposed by BP.
A spokesperson for the mayor said proposals for the status “remain in progress”. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said it was working through more than 200 proposals, including Redcar, to “identify the most promising”.
Powering on
Hartlepool will also benefit from the ripple effects of Donald Trump’s state visit. Britain’s largest energy supplier, Centrica, will pair up with the US firm X-energy to develop up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, creating up to 2,500 jobs.
The reactors will be built next to Hartlepool Power Station which is nearing the end of its life.
Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash said: “This deal marks a historic moment for Hartlepool. This UK-US partnership, with our town at its centre, brings billions in investment, creates high-quality jobs and secures clean energy for generations to come.”
Even more jobs
In an ordinary week, this would be the first story you would read in Eyes & Ears… Port of Tyne has launched a £150m redevelopment project which could see the creation of thousands of offshore wind and advanced manufacturing jobs.
The expansion of the Tyne Clean Energy Park offers similar incentives to freeports, including business rates relief, enhanced capital allowances, and employer National Insurance relief as it is in an Industrial Strategy Zone.
An independent WSP study estimates up to 12,000 jobs could be created with a £5.6 billion impact on the economy.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness said: “It’s fantastic Port of Tyne is bringing forward a new clean energy terminal with a deep-water dock, which will help us in our work to establish the North East as the home of the green energy revolution.
Port chief executive Matt Beeton said: “Accelerating offshore wind, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing is a national priority. The Tyne Clean Energy Park is uniquely placed to support this UK-wide initiative. We’re working with local and national partners to unlock the region’s potential and attract global investment.”
Question time
What is going on at the Civic Centre in Newcastle? After a year in which no one emerges with any credit, former leader Nick Kemp has been cleared of breaching its code of conduct following an allegation of bullying from former senior director Michelle Percy.
The council said it would release no further details of the independent investigation despite long-standing concerns about the culture of governance at the council, cross-party calls for transparency, and the £74k cost to the public purse.
Inevitably, a full copy of the 200-page report was seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Investigators found that “more could have been done” to deal with Ms Percy’s concerns at an earlier stage and that their judgement “is not to be taken as a finding that the Councillor’s behaviour was always acceptable”.
The findings of the report raises questions over who ‘could have done more’ to deal with Ms Percy’s concerns. And why was a wider-ranging inquiry into claims that some top executives were “unwilling or reluctant to answer challenging questions openly” put off until the bullying investigation was concluded?
Councillor Kemp, who has since quit the Labour Party and now represents the East End and Associates Independents, said he received the conclusions “with no sense of jubilation or triumph” and that the accusations had “cost my family, my friends and my business dearly”.
First in line
Sunderland and Stockton-on-Tees are in the first wave of areas to see the NHS move more care from hospitals into the community through the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.
The scheme is about preventing illness, tackling health inequalities, integrating services and improving the experience of patients and will see a range of work to support patients before they need to be taken to hospital, or to get them out of hospital faster and looked after in their own homes.
Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson said: “I’m thrilled that Sunderland will be one of the first places in the country to receive this new neighbourhood health service rollout. It’s what our city needs — care that’s closer to home, joined up between GPs, community nurses and all our local support services. It means quicker help for families, relief for hard-working carers, and a council of care built around people, not buildings.”
Union rap
The union representing workers facing redundancy because of the closure of the Olefins 6 cracker plant at Wilton said it has little faith in the efforts of Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen.
The Teesside Lead published a special midweek edition to report on the comments of Fazia Hussain-Brown, regional officer for Unite.
She said: “Ben Houchen claims he will not turn his back on the chemical sector and fight for jobs in the area - but we have seen no evidence of this and have little faith in his words.
“He has repeatedly ignored requests for meetings with both Unite and Sabic, refusing to travel half an hour up the A66 to meet with the Sabic senior team and the union yet has jetted off to Saudi Arabia at the taxpayers’ expense to cosy up to Sabic’s CEO.”
Getting messy
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said Reform UK are making a “complete mess” of running Durham County Council and accused Nigel Farage's party of abandoning net zero policies, which he said were saving taxpayers money.
Reform councillor Tim McGuinness, portfolio holder for rural, farming and transport, said the party was trying to be practical and show common sense: “If there are any projects or buildings these green technologies do work on, we're interested - but only in a reasonable payback time.”
Key pillars
The Chamber of Commerce has published its policy plan for 2025-27. Key pillars of Unlocking the North East Economy are:
Securing quality jobs and investment for the future
Capitalising on the new zero journey
Connecting the North East physically and digitally
Championing an internationally trading North East
Creating the conditions for a happier, healthier North East
Driving inclusive growth through equity, diversity and inclusion
Dr Suzanne Hague, principal lecturer at Teesside University International School of Business and chair of Chamber partners, said: “The policy plan is a vital road map to ensure our region can grow sustainably and fairly. We look forward to working with the Chamber and all its members and all the people in the North East to accelerate progress across all six policy pillars.”
Come clean
The Great British Beach Clean, organised by the Marine Conservation Society, starts today and runs through to September 29.
More than 200 volunteers from Northumbrian Water started early by tackling South Shields and Redcar beaches last weekend. They’ll now be turning their attentions to Beadnell, North Shields, Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, Blyth, Seaburn and Roker, Crimdon and Seaton Carew, supported by local councils and environmental partners including, Durham Wildlife Trust.
Northern roots
Former White House aide Fiona Hill, the Chancellor of Durham University, is launching a new podcast exploring how the North East continues to shape talent and ambition across generations.
The series Forged in the North, which launches at the Durham Book Festival in October, sees Fiona speak to some of the region’s best known figures including Sting, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Lee Hall, Brendan Foster, Sara Davies and mayor Kim McGuinness.
Fiona spoke to Sam Wonfor and said the inspiration for the podcasts came from her memoir There Is Nothing for You Here, which reflected on how County Durham’s social fabric in the 1980s supported her own ambitions.
Beginning and end
The board of Transport for the North held their meeting in Darlington this week to coincide with the beginning of the railways 200 years ago.
Politicians expressed their disappointment at pauses in a number of schemes, including improvements to the East Coast Main Line north of York, and reaffirmed their commitment to the Northern Powerhouse Rail network - and to delivering it in full.
It was the final TfN meeting to be chaired by Lord Patrick McLoughlin who is stepping down after four years.
Help at hand
Durham County Council is making around £500,000 available to community groups and projects to help to tackle lower-level mental health concerns and social isolation.
The council is working with community foundation Point North on delivering the annual Thriving Together fund. Applications are open for individual grants of between £5,000 and £25,000.
A quick word
A £33.5m plan to expand Northern Studios in Hartlepool and create a Screen Industries Production Village have been approved with construction expected to start in the next few months. The continued shutdown of Jaguar Land Rover following a cyber attack will have an impact on a number of North East companies in their supply chain, warns Paul Butler, CEO of the North East Automotive Alliance. Pupils have returned to Prudhoe Community Hight School. The building is safe - but the cause of cracks that forced the building to close for almost seven months remains unknown. The roundabout underneath the closed A167 Gateshead flyover was closed for 12 hours after debris hit a vehicle. More regular safety checks have been promised. A pilot scheme offering chemical suppressants to sexual offenders will be extended to cover 20 prisons in the North East and North West following “positive” trials in four prisons in the south west. Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet has, as expected, decided to remain part of a controversial £2bn waste incinerator scheme set to be built at Teesworks, near Grangetown, Redcar. Hundreds of healthcare assistants who work for Northumbria Healthcare have accepted an improved offer to end their long-running pay dispute. Middlesbrough Central Library has reopened after a £1.9m refurbishment which included a full redesign of the ground floor to create a children's library with play areas and family facilities. Last week it was the first Metro train being handed over to North East Museums, this week it is Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service taking delivery of another old carriage to help crews recreate emergency situations. Sunderland councillors have backed plans for a new glassmaking facility in the former Peter Smith Antiques building to replace the National Glass Centre which is set to close next year.
Barbarian tactics
Don’t flush wet wipes down the toilet - or Barbarian may track you down.
Northumbrian Water have sent warning letters to people living in four postcode areas identified as ‘hotspots’ for blocked drains which can result in effluent being pushed back up out of people's sinks, showers and toilets.
The letters, sent to homes in Bedlington, Sunderland, Skelton and Stockton, are designed to educate people to stop flushing away wipes before the company narrows down the properties responsible by using a wipe tracker tool called Barbarian.
The name’s Bond
County Durham writer Sarah Bond has been nominated for a prestigious theatre award for her play Seagulls and Sad, Sad Stories about three teenagers from South Shields who go to a fortune teller while studying for their GCSEs.
She is up against six others in the Best Writer category at the Stage Debut Awards which will be held in London on September 28.
The play was commissioned by Laurels Theatre and ran for two weeks in December. Co-founder Steve Robertson said: “We couldn't be prouder that a show which ran above a chicken shop in Whitley Bay has been nominated. Sarah's writing is so funny and thoughtful, she's been a pleasure to work with and we'll be living vicariously through her when she heads down to the awards.”
Ranking first
Sunderland University has made the top 30 in The Guardian University Guide 2026 for the first time. They moved up six places to 27 and came first in the subject rankings for pharmacy and pharmacology.
The guide, which uses metrics such as student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending and career prospects, saw Durham move up one place to fifth - coming first in archaeology and second in English.
Northumbria was 47th overall but their nursing courses have been ranked among the very best in the country, coming first for children’s nursing, second for general nursing and sixth for mental health nursing.
Teesside moved up 11 places to 57 and Newcastle dropped to 81.
Business bites
Pearson Engineering has signed an agreement with defence company Ukrainska Bavovna to support the repair and maintenance of systems already delivered to Ukraine, deliver training, and explore the potential for manufacturing. Team Valley-based Kavli UK, owner of the Primula cheese brand and Castle MacLellan, has reported an increase in pre-tax profits and turnover. Richard Reed Solicitors, one of Sunderland's longest-established law firms, is relocating to The Beam in the heart of Riverside Sunderland, joining the likes of Ocado, North East Screen, Apexon and Asset55. Engineering firm Industrial and Marine Hydraulics has completed a “game-changing” move to much bigger premises on the outskirts of Middlesbrough. Executive and board search firm Castle Peak has been named National Professional Services Start Up of the Year at the 2025 UK National Start Up Awards. Technology firm Kromek has recorded its first profits after a “pivotal” year of agreements. Middlesbrough-based engineering firm MITS Inspection is looking to expand after securing £300,000 of investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, managed by FW Capital. Komatsu has chosen its site at Birtley to produce two new “world-leading” excavators which are said to offer extreme fuel efficiency, ultra-low emissions, and higher levels of digitalisation than any competitor. North East estate agency group My Property Box, which has offices in Darlington, Newcastle and Northallerton, has purchased County Durham-based Ready to Rent and Newton Assets. Turnover dropped at laminate maker Formica but the North Shields company reduced operating losses from nearly £37m to £8.3m. Subsea technology company SMD has appointed experienced director Stephen Hill as COO as it prepares to open its third facility on North Tyneside.
1979 ad break
This week sees a return to the highly amusing Cinzano adverts featuring Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter. They invariably ended with Ms Collins getting rather wet - until this one from 1979 situated in a ski resort. Cinzano with a twist, you could say!
THE WIDER VIEW
Taken to the cleaners
Former royal cleaner Anne Simmons has become a media celebrity in recent months, appearing everywhere from The Times and The Sun to the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror and New York Post.
Press Gazette reports that her tips on how the UK royals like to keep Buckingham Palace clean have gone viral online and secured valuable brand mentions for: Edit Suits, Plumbworld, Playcasino, Plates Express and Pure Window Cleaning.
That's because all her quotes were provided by a PR agency, apparently acting on behalf of these paying clients.
Buckingham Palace has no record of Simmons ever working there. And try as they might, Press Gazette could find no trace of her online. It’s like she was born in March 2025 when the first interview with her appeared in The Times, as a “brand ambassador” for Hyperion Tiles.
“These appear to be yet more examples of dubious PR content being published by journalists and editors who don't have the time or the inclination to check whether it is fact or fiction,” they said.
Not so minted
The organisation that literally makes money has revealed it lost money in the past year. The Royal Mint announced pre-tax losses of £36m, blaming a weakening public appetite for commemorative coins. Also, this is the first year that the Treasury has not requested any coins be minted for UK circulation, as contactless and mobile payments become more widely accepted.
Head of steam
Royal Mail is to issue a set of 10 stamps celebrating the heritage of British steam locomotives and the development of the UK's railway network to mark the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
Mike Crawshaw from Darlington Borough Council, said: “They beautifully capture the spirit and significance of the S&DR and Locomotion No. 1, and we're proud to see this moment celebrated in such a meaningful and lasting way.”
I doubt the stamp issue will be as contentious - at least in my family - as the one in Ireland to commemorate 25 years of Westlife.
An Post, the Irish postal service, decided to leave out singer Brian McFadden, my elder daughter’s first heartthrob, on the grounds that he left the band before they reached the milestone year.
He is now one half of the duo Boyzlife - with Keith Duffy - and is president of the Bubble Foundation, the charity that funds treatment, research, and family support for babies and children born with severe immune conditions and receive treatment at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
I think she’s over him.
Ben, no Jerry
Ben & Jerry’s has lost its Jerry. School friends Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen co-founded the ice cream maker 47 years ago and have been championing progressive causes and donating profits to charity ever since.
They sold the business to Unilever for $326m in 2000 but maintained an independent board. Now Jerry has had enough of battling the parent company over statements about Trump, Gaza and other social and political issues.
He believes the company’s founding values of “justice, equity, and shared humanity” can no longer be pursued under the current owners.
Weighty subject
In 2001, an American study found that overweight or obese men with normal blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure had about the same risk of heart-related death as men of a “healthy” weight. It kickstarted the so-called “fat but fit” debate.
The debate has had many twists and turns over the past quarter of a century. The Conversation reports on a large new study from Denmark which adds weight to the evidence that being very thin can be more dangerous than being slightly overweight.
Had a glance at a rival printed local paper yesterday. First in a long time. Reminded me of how brilliant Eyes and Ears is by comparison. Thanks for providing actual useful news leavened with just the right amount of magazine-type articles and a bit of humour. I won’t need to look at the other one for quite some time!
Re: Barbarian Tactics (Eyes & Ears 19.09.25), I wonder if “Stockton” was a misprint of “Stocksfield” as residents of NE43 have also received the wet wipes letters… though I do wonder if Northumbrian Water got it wrong as I can’t imagine many people in Stocksfield flushing wet wipes down the loo - we’re mostly of the grey-haired fraternity and I assume it is predominantly parents of new-borns who are the miscreants?!