Is a modicum of transparency too much to ask for from Tees Valley Combined Authority - after all: it is our money that's at stake

Teesside Freeport and the nature of business deals being done under the cover of millions of pounds of public money is raising concerns locally and nationally. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

You would think that given the grave concerns of local residents, alongside swelling ranks of increasingly alarmed politicians, that a Freedom of Information request by The Yorkshire Post requesting details about business interest in the Government’s flagship levelling up project – Teesside Freeport – that its leadership would jump at the chance to shout about its success.

In essence, the query offers Tees Valley Combined Authority the opportunity to win kudos – particularly amongst local people – for the progress being made, offering hope at least to people that better times could be up ahead once occupancy rates begin to hit intended target levels.

Yet this seemingly straight-forward question met with same sort of paranoid obfuscation as some of the more probing questions detailing the nature of some of the deals done on Teesside in relation to this site and, in particular, in relation to the vast amounts of public money being pumped into the project.

Yet, by refusing to give straight answers to simple questions, it only serves to make people more suspcious about the nature of the deals being done and the progress being made.

Central to the rationale given for refusing to reveal how many businesses had signed tenancy agreements with the site, TVCA said that ‘it would likely cause harm to Teesworks Limited’s commercial interests should the number of confirmed or prospective tenants be disclosed,’ going on to suggest that by telling this newspaper how many agreements were currently in place it would ‘prejudice the bidding process and affect private sector confidence.’

To all and sundry it is clear that the only thing impacting the confidence of prospective investors is the conduct of those at the heart of running this project and until they offer answers , the crucible of scrutiny will only become hotter and hotter.