Tees Valley confronts Thailand over future of Redcar steelworks
by Helen Pidd North of England editor from on (#4Z44G)
Mayor Ben Houchen wants to force three Thai banks to sell crucial plot on mothballed site
A David v Goliath-style battle will begin in the north-east of England on Tuesday as the mayor of the Tees Valley (population: 700,000) goes to battle with the government of Thailand (population: 69 million) over the future of the former Redcar steelworks.
Ben Houchen, the Tory mayor of the industrial Tees Valley, wants to force three Thai banks, including one owned by the Thai state, to sell him a crucial 352-hectare (870-acre) plot on the 1,820-hectare Redcar site.
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