SSI Steelworks: 10 Years On
- Melissa Wade
- Feb 12
- 2 min read
A decade has passed since the devasting closure of the SSI Steelworks in Redcar, as gates closed for the final time following the liquidation of SSI, then-owner of the steelworks site.
On October 12th, 2015, the lights went out on the iconic blast furnace, as it was extinguished leading to countless of repercussions.
The Teesside Steelworks formed a continuous stretch along the south bank of the River Tees from the towns of Middlesbrough to Redcar.
At its height there were 91 blast furnaces within a 10-mile radius of the area.
By the end of the 1970s there was only one left on Teesside.
Opened in 1979 and located near the mouth of the River Tees, the Redcar blast furnace was the second largest in Europe.
In 2011, when SSI purchased the steelworks, there were plans to create over 800 new jobs on top of the existing 700.
The closure of the SSI steelworks resulted in the immediate loss of over 2,000 jobs, with at least 3,000 jobs lost when accounting for the supply chain.
Unemployment in the Redcar and Cleveland area spiked following the closure, with around 2,200 people filing for benefits, according to the Tees Valley Mayor’s task force.
The demolition of the furnace did not just make people lose their jobs; it took away the iconic view of the furnace when people looked on from the seafront.
Today, Redcar reflects on the immense loss, the struggles that followed, and the ongoing efforts to forge a new future.
One resistant express how Redcar “hasn’t been the same since” the closure of steelworks.
John Spencer, 65, retired, said: “It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years. So many families were affected, and I feel Redcar just hasn’t been the same since. You see the empty space where the Steelworks used to be, and it’s just a constant reminder of what we’ve lost.”
Katie Jones, 40, teacher, said: “My dad worked there, my granddad worked there. Generations of families worked there and it’s such a shame it had to go. Yes, there have been some efforts to bring new development to the area, but it’ll never be the same.”
Wendy Calvert, 54, carer, said: “I think it's good that the area is being used for new things, but nothing could ever be as iconic as the Steelworks.”
Now Redcar is in the midst of a significant transformation.
Out of the ashes of the steelworks, Teesworks was born – the UK’s largest industrial zone and a growing global base for innovation.
The Teesworks site, where the steelworks once stood, is now a hub of new development, with projects focused on renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and green technologies.
While the memories of the past remain, the focus is firmly on creating a sustainable and prosperous future for Redcar.
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