Planning Teesside (1970)

This is a really interesting film, because unlike so many of the glossy publicity films of the new towns and big city corporations, this one sets out to critique the plans for a whole area: Teesside.

Not only do we get the opposing views of local politicians, and the honest vox-pops of residents from Billingham, Stockton and Teesside, the visuals do a lot to reveal what was really going on in the area. Huge industrial growth, bringing with it both jobs and pollution, dominates the skyline. Huge areas of the towns remain bulldozed and unregenerated. Meanwhile thousands of acres are being claimed back from the tides, with the hope of more petrochemical industries to join ICI and Monsanto.

With the trial of T. Dan Smith looming, and the coming oil shocks and the 3 day week, there is a sense of doom watching this film now, which magnifies even the bleakness of the cinematography. It remains a great record of a pivotal moment.

You can watch Planning Teesside here on the BFI Player.

More on Billingham here.