Teesside Airport

Foundation:

Houchen's Bogus

Charity

Scott Hunter

15 February 2024

In 2021, Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, set up the Teesside Airport Foundation. Some eighteen months later it became a registered charity. Its first set of accounts are now 15 days overdue.

Source: the Charities' Commission

The accounts will make interesting reading. In recent months it has been possible to donate to the charity, but anyone wishing to apply to it for a grant will find the following on its website:

Source: Teesside Airport Foundation website

In short, in three years, this organization has carried out no charitable function at all. When the accounts do eventually land, the Charities’ Commission needs to examine them very carefully.

The grant application notice has been on the website ever since it was set up. In the meantime, the foundation serves only one purpose, which is to hold 25% of the shares in the airport holding company, Goosepool 2019. The remaining 75% are held by TVCA.

It is on account of the charity’s shareholding that the holding company evades scrutiny via freedom of information, as the company is classed as not 100% in public ownership. And even the Tees Valley Review panel was refused information about the airport because of it.



Only an inquiry with statutory powers will be able to unlock its secrets.