FACED with the prospect of spending three-quarters of a town’s future budget on children in care and an ageing population suffering from dementia, a brainstorming session has been held to come up with income-generating ideas.

At a round-table meeting Middlesbrough’s elected mayor, Ray Mallon, outlined his ‘direction of travel’ for the town which involves building almost 7,000 homes by 2029 to boost its population and to cope with funding cuts which could amount £135m over nine years.

Of the homes built in 2014/15, 450 will be three and four-bedroom and most will be council tax band D and above. This additional funding will help pay for the spiralling costs of looking after cared-for children and the elderly, who alone are expected to use up at least 73 per cent of the town’s budget by 2020.

Invited representatives at the meeting held at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough included South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group, Barratt Homes, Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald, Middlesbrough College and Cleveland Police & Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger.

Improving transport links and education standards to attract more residents were views put forward by those invited to the local authority’s special Overview and Scrutiny Board.

Neil Milburn of Barratt Homes said 90 per cent of its labour and materials in the region came from within a 10 mile radius, however there was a skills gap.

Zoe Lewis, from Middlesbrough College, said creating jobs was also a pull for people to move to the town. She said: “Middlesbrough College trains an awful lot of people in care and at times it becomes a haven. Often we have homeless people sleeping in the doors waiting for us to open.”

Mr Mallon added: “There are not going to be any big bail outs or handouts where this town is concerned. I have spoken to different people in the house developer world “What will bring people back?”and it’s housing but it has to be the right location and the right quality.”