Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke has visited a local housing development to discuss the housing needs of Teesside.

Hosted by Persimmon Homes Teesside at their Saffron Gardens development in Hemlington, the Mayor was given a tour of the site which will deliver 575 new homes when complete.

With the country’s shortfall in new housing well documented, the Mayor and his team met Persimmon’s Deputy Regional Chair to hear about some of the present barriers to increasing housing delivery.

This week being National Apprenticeship Week, the Mayor was also given an update from Persimmon’s regional Apprenticeship Manager on their work with colleges across the region.

Persimmon currently has over 500 apprentices and trainees nationally with around 50 construction apprentices working on sites in the North East.

Middlesbrough Elected Mayor Chris Cooke said: “The economic climate is challenging for most who want to get on the property ladder so its welcome to learn of the discounts offered by Persimmon to our key workers in Middlesbrough.

‘I also had the opportunity to learn about the apprenticeship and training opportunities Persimmon offers.

“Apprenticeships can be the gateway to unlocking the confidence of our young people and I was particularly pleased to learn of their initiatives to recruit more female apprentices into construction.’

Karl Wiseman, Deputy Regional Chairman for Persimmon said: "We always welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our role in delivering new housing, and so we were delighted to host Mayor Cooke at our Saffron Gardens development.

“It was great to be able to also brief the Mayor on our apprenticeship programme and our partnerships with local colleges helping young people develop the skills they need to embark upon one of the many fulfilling careers construction has to offer.”