Tributes paid to engineer who shaped growth of North East town
Terry Ratcliffe, who served as borough engineer for Middlesbrough from 1972 until the abolition of Cleveland County Council in 1996, died recently at the age of 87.
During his career, Mr Ratcliffe helped deliver major projects including the development of Coulby Newham and Hemlington, new retail areas, and pollution reduction schemes for the River Tees.
He was also responsible for two multistorey car parks, the construction of Middlesbrough Bus Station, and the town's cycleway system.
Terry Ratcliffe (Image: Middlesbrough Council)
Brian Glover, former head of transport and design at Middlesbrough Council, said: "Terry played an absolutely central role in all of these initiatives, offering his management and engineering expertise to all these projects.
"He was an excellent chief officer and a very good boss who was well respected by staff and members alike, and he had a wicked sense of humour."
A keen cyclist, Mr Ratcliffe often built his own bikes and championed the development of cycling infrastructure across the town.
Mr Glover said: "Terry was rightly very proud of his beloved cycleway system throughout the borough which was very innovative for the day.
"He was especially proud of the joint cycle and pedestrian crossing on Keith Road which was a national first and opened by the then transport minister."
Mike Robinson, former chief executive of Middlesbrough Council and a fellow engineer, said: "My abiding memory of Terry is that he was totally unflappable and had a fantastic sense of humour.
"He always greeted people with a smile, even when he was telling you off."
Mr Ratcliffe is survived by his wife Judith, their son, and two daughters.
READ MORE:
Gin & cheese train with countryside views returns to Durham Dales this summer
Durham restaurant offers set menu for parents during school holidays
Public notice: A66 and A19 to close for overnight and weekend works
A celebration of his life will be held at St Bede's Chapel in Teesside Crematorium at 11am on Thursday, August 14.
Donations in lieu of flowers are requested for Cycling UK.
A collection box will be available following the service, and donations can also be made online at www.
terryratcliffe.muchloved.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Trump could soon challenge Congress with rare funding cancellation
By Bo Erickson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration's tug-of-war with Congress this year over spending delays of approved federal money could intensify as soon as this week, as the White House weighs a rare maneuver to permanently withhold some federal funding. The tactic -- called a pocket rescission -- has been criticized by a handful of Republican senators as it would essentially cancel congressionally authorized funding without a vote from lawmakers. The funding in question is due to expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The administration could indicate as soon as Friday what it plans to do with the remaining money that has not yet been made available to grantees. The White House Budget Office did not respond to a request for comment. It is unclear whether Congress will object. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress control over spending, but Republicans who control both the House of Representatives and the Senate have broadly supported the administration's unilateral freezes of foreign aid and domestic spending so far. With little Republican objection, several funding programs have been delayed for months. The Government Accountability Office, Congress' independent watchdog agency, ruled this summer that $100 million in federal library funding -- meant to expand services on top of local dollars -- was unlawfully "impounded" and held up by the administration since March. Funding for a Montana children's paleontology education program has remained frozen, as well as copyright and AI research, and librarian training assistance started by former Republican first lady Laura Bush, in Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, according to grantees. If it wanted, Congress could consider the funding cuts in committee hearings and vote on the provision. Republican senators Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska have objected, but other Republican lawmakers have not spoken out. "As a Republican myself, I would love to hear more from my team on this," said Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. Republicans on occasion have pushed the administration to release other frozen funding. Ten of the Senate's 53 Republicans successfully urged White House budget director Russ Vought in July to release $6 billion in education funds, while 14 Republicans pushed to release National Institutes of Health research funding. "We need our Republican colleagues to join us in insisting that all blocked funding gets out -- not just the programs most important to them,' Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations committee, said last month. But other Republicans have encouraged the administration's funding delays. "I want to spend less, not more," Senator Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, said. UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE Democrats say the administration has withheld more than $420 billion in funding that was passed on a bipartisan basis in a stopgap funding bill and signed into law by Trump in March. Emory University law professor Matthew Lawrence said the delays are unprecedented in modern times and make the government less accountable to its citizens. 'You know your representative to call and voice your concerns on spending," he said. "But if the power is President Trump's ... I don't know how to do that, nor do my neighbors.' Top Republicans have often sidestepped the funding power fight and said the federal courts -- where there have been more than 60 spending-related cases -- will decide the legality of these delays. Collins, who oversees spending as the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the best way to assert congressional power is to pass funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year. But some Democrats say that is pointless if the Trump administration will not honor them. 'The budget isn't worth the paper that we write it on if they're just going to refuse to spend on things that matter to Democrats," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters. END-OF-YEAR WITHHOLDING? Vought, the White House budget director, has said these freezes are for 'programmatic review,' a technical term that allows administration to pause and analyze spending. However, the GAO rulings said the delays are not 'permissible." Four other program funds have been ruled as unlawfully impounded by the GAO, and it is investigating 40 other programs facing delays. Vought told reporters in June that the pocket tactic does not require approval from Congress -- a change from the administration's prior approach, when it sought and won approval in July to cancel $9 billion for foreign aid and public media. Collins, Murkowski and Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota have said they oppose a pocket rescission, but others have said they do not object. "We support rescissions in whatever form they could come to us,' House Speaker Mike Johnson said in July.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Former Liverpool Star Heaps Praise on ‘Tremendous' Michael Edwards
Liverpool Transfer Masterclass Leaves Danny Murphy Full of Praise for Michael Edwards Liverpool's summer business has once again caught the eye, not just for the players brought in but for the impressive sums raised through sales. Michael Edwards, working alongside Richard Hughes, has overseen a series of high-value departures that have left the club in a strong financial position. Liverpool's Profitable Player Exits This summer has seen the departures of several key figures. Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, both influential last season, moved on after campaigns that did not fully hit the heights expected. Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah have also been sold, contributing further to the club's growing transfer fund. With a couple of weeks still remaining in the transfer window, Arne Slot has room to add more new faces should he see fit. Having already delivered Liverpool the Premier League title in his first season, Slot now has the opportunity to refresh the squad while keeping the club's financial footing secure. Photo: IMAGO Danny Murphy Impressed by Diaz Transfer Fee One deal in particular has drawn admiration from former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy. The sale of Luis Diaz to a European rival brought in around £65.5 million, despite the Colombian having only two years left on his contract. Murphy did not hold back in his praise for Edwards. 'I think Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have done a sterling job in that respect [the fees they've got for their sales],' he said. 'If you're good at what you do, then the players you then need to move on or sell on are always going to have good value. 'The money they got for Diaz is tremendous, really, when you think about it, he wouldn't sign a new deal, he's a quality player, people want him. And that gives you the capability to then do what they're doing now, so it's positive, I don't see any negatives with what's going on at all.' Michael Edwards' Proven Strategy at Liverpool Liverpool's ability to maximise transfer fees has been a defining feature of their recruitment policy over recent years. While not every departure has brought in a windfall, the success rate remains high. The club's approach of acquiring players at reasonable prices and selling them at their peak value has kept their net spend low, ensuring they remain competitive without overspending. Even after several high-profile exits, there is still talent in reserve. Harvey Elliott, Ben Doak and Kostas Tsimikas are among those who could command significant fees if needed. Edwards' track record suggests that, if they were to leave, Liverpool would secure strong returns. Sustainable Success under Arne Slot There is always a risk with significant player turnover, but Liverpool's meticulous planning minimises it. Each sale is carefully balanced with targeted recruitment, ensuring the squad remains competitive on all fronts. With Edwards guiding the club's transfer dealings and Slot building on last season's title-winning campaign, Liverpool appear well set to remain at the forefront of English football.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why are universal credit claims at a record high?
As the government reports a record rise in universal credit claimants, we look at the reality behind the figures. Warnings of a record number of universal credit claimants have been widely reported this week. The government's own data indicates that one million more people are claiming universal credit compared to this time last year — adding to its claims that the UK's benefits bill is "unsustainable". In reality, what is behind the increase is significantly more interesting and complex. Let's unpack how the government arrived at this figure — and what the experts say. People are being moved from legacy benefits onto universal credit When universal credit was introduced back in 2013, the government's aim was to simplify the benefits system and transfer every benefit claimant to universal credit. In reality, the process has been a lot more complicated than the government had hoped. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is still transferring some households from older benefits — dubbed legacy benefits — into the universal credit system. According to the government's own figures, between February 2024 and February 2025, a total of approximately 1,747,985 individuals in 1,259,480 households claiming legacy benefits were sent migration notices, notifying them that they would be transferred to universal credit. Of those, around 1.4 million people have moved onto universal credit 'The latest rise in the number of people receiving universal credit is due in part to people being moved across from legacy benefits," Beatrice Orchard, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the UK's largest foodbank charity, Trussell, told Yahoo News. "When universal credit was set up it was designed to streamline support into one means-tested payment and people are moving from other benefits onto the newer system." Jack Kellam, the head of communications at the Autonomy Institute, echoes this. "From July 2022 around 1.6 million people have claimed UC following a migration notice," he told Yahoo News. "While this clearly doesn't explain all of the current rise, it's a significant amount of people, and we need to keep this in mind when we see figures about growth in universal credit claimants." The TUC's general secretary, Paul Nowak, also believes this is a key factor behind the rise. He told Yahoo News: "The rise in claimants is likely to driven by more people now getting universal credit who would previously have received legacy benefits like job seekers allowance and incapacity benefit." The pension age has risen When the state pension age increases, those who would be claiming their pension earlier are entitled to other state support for longer. Additionally, people who previously would have started receiving the state pension and pension credit must now wait longer before they become eligible for those forms of support As the state pension age in the UK last increased from 65 to 66 for both men and women by October 2020, that knock-on effect will be felt in the system now. The next planned increase — raising the state pension age from 66 to 67 — is scheduled between 2026 and 2028, which is also likely to result in an uptick of claims. "Rising pension age also means that more people are eligible for working-age support for longer," Orchard explained. The cost of living is rising It is clear that so many of us are feeling the pinch due to the rising cost of living — and no-one is feeling that more than lower-income families. If we compare the cost of living to the same period where a record rise in universal credit claims has been measured, the cost of living in the UK has risen by approximately 3.6% in the 12 months from July 2024 to July 2025, according to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). This marks a continued increase in prices, driven mainly by higher costs in food, fuel, and other essential goods and services. The inflation rate remains above the Bank of England's 2% target. Food inflation reached 4.5% in June 2025, and energy and housing costs have also contributed significantly to the rise. It is worth noting that the average wage in the UK increased by approximately 4.6% year-on-year in the three months to June 2025. However, when adjusted for inflation, real earnings increased by only about 0.5%, making the weakest real wage growth since June 2023 — another challenging financial year in recent memory. Social security as a share of GDP is steady If we were to look at this figure in isolation, the experts are keen to point out that social security spending as a share of the UK's GDP is steady. According to the latest available figures displayed in this chart, the largest social security spend is on pensioners, indicating the government's spend on winter fuel payment, state pension and pension credit is more significant. Spending specifically on benefits for working-age adults (excluding health and housing-related support) declined from 2.8% of GDP in 2007-08 to about 1.9% in 2024-25, according to the Resolution Foundation. While total social security spending has moderately increased as a share of GDP, the composition has shifted notably, with reduced spending on general working-age benefits but increased spending on disability-related benefits. 'Spending on working-age social security as a share of GDP has been stable for the past decade, and is forecast to remain so in the years ahead," Orchard added. People in the UK are getting sicker A rise in disability benefits also gets at another factor: people in the UK are getting sicker. "Poverty is one of the leading causes of ill health," Kellam said. "Many have been trapped just above or below the poverty line for many years – bouncing in and out of work, just about keeping their heads above water. "We should not be surprised that an economy beset by low pay and chronic insecurity – alongside the existing issues the UK has in health and social care – has begun to generate a situation in which more and more individuals are too unwell to work, or need to care for others who are too unwell to work." Kellam explained this issue in detail, arguing that the government has not been proactive enough in tackling some of the biggest causes of ill health in the UK, pre and post the Covid-19 pandemic. "Rather than invest in social housing, successive governments have instead opted to use welfare to subsidise rising private rents," he told Yahoo News. "Rather than develop a robust social care system for an increasingly ageing population, governments have chosen to ground the system subsidising unpaid carers, who are then pushed out of employment and into universal credit. "Rather than tackle the explosion of novel forms of exploitative employment relations in recent decades – from bogus self-employment, to zero-hours contracts and algorithmic management – governments have instead topped up the low wages offered by employers. "At root, we have an economy in which, for many, employers do not pay enough, with anywhere near enough security, with very high housing and living costs," he added. Many people claiming universal credit are in work One other less explored factor accounting is the modest but steady increase in people claiming universal credit are in work. In July 2025, there were 2.2 million working people on universal credit, up from 2.1 million a year before. In reality, Trussell thinks that figure could be closer to 2.7 million. 'Work is not providing the reliable route out of hardship we might expect with 2.7 million people in work needing to top up their income with universal credit," Orchard told Yahoo News. "For many people, disabilities, health conditions and care responsibilities are major barriers to work." *Yahoo News has reached out to the DWP for comment.
