Plans to breathe new life into Blyth will see millions of pounds invested in the town over the coming year.
The Energising Blyth project is a major £70m regeneration programme forming 12 projects, including a cultural centre, education facilities, industrial commercial and leisure space, new homes and infrastructure for sustainable transport.
In another project, work is also progressing to a new leisure scheme at Blyth seafront.
Here we look at some of the projects taking shape in the Northumberland town.
Blyth Cultural Hub
The Cultural Hub in the heart of Blyth town centre will provide a three screen cinema, a multi-purpose space and studio space for functions and performances, a creative play space, café and ancillary functions.
Construction of the Culture Hub will begin later in 2023 with completion in Autumn 2024.
The Culture Hub is part of the £70m Blyth Town Investment Plan supported by Town Deal, Future High Street Fund, Northumberland County Council and NTCA.
This will deliver a range of significant projects in Blyth, including an Energy Central Campus, Hotel and public realm/street improvements to better connect and link the town to the Port.
Energy Central Campus
A new £11million facility in Blyth which will create opportunities for thousands of young people and adults interested in working in the clean energy sector has been granted planning permission.
The Energy Central Learning Hub will provide a range of state-of-the-art industrial training, education and STEM-related skills facilities, with construction set to start in October 2022 at Port of Blyth and due to be completed in winter 2023.
The new 2,396sqm Hub will include major conferencing capabilities, events space, and a lecture theatre to encourage collaboration between employers, education institutions and research facilities.
Street improvements
Bowes Street in Blyth town centre re-opened to vehicles in November.
It follows the completion of the latest stage of the works to improve Bowes Street, Church Street and Wanley Street.
The improvements to the area aim to create a more welcoming, safe and accessible area include new paving, street furniture, wider footpaths, increased on-street parking and improved lighting.
On Bowes Street the road has now been significantly upgraded, including improved flood resilience measures in the area. The one-way system, west to east, along Bowes Street has been reintroduced, encouraging safe and sustainable transport in the area.
The west end of Bowes Street and Wanley Street continue to be constructed ahead of the overall scheme being completed in spring 2023.
Further street furniture including planters will be added throughout the scheme area during this period prior to spring planting of new floral displays on the street.
Blyth Sub Sea Cable Facility
JDR Cable Systems began construction on the 69,000 sqm factory in November.
The £130m project will deliver vital subsea cable manufacturing technology to the offshore wind market and is currently providing 171 local jobs for the construction phase of the project.
The project is support by His Majesty’s Government and the Secretary of State as part of the BEIS Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support Scheme.
When complete, the facility will include a new catenary continuous vulcanisation (CCV) line, making it the only facility in the UK capable of full start-to-finish manufacturing of high voltage subsea cables for offshore wind farms to support the growing global renewable energy market.
The facility is due to be operational by 2024.
Blyth Seafront leisure development
Developers working on the £4.5m-plus development The Links, at South Beach in Blyth, confirmed in November the final touches were being made ahead of the launch of the first phase.
The first tenants to move in will be bakery giant Greggs and beauty salon Shorelocks, who are both on course to move into their units before Christmas. Other tenants have also agreed lettings deals, including Prudhoe-based Italian coffee house Caffe Ginevra.
North East retail property consultancy @retail is currently taking enquiries from more potential occupiers hoping to be part of the project by Blagdon Estate and Kingsmead Developments, which will also feature a Co-op convenience store in the largest of the units, spanning 3,760 sq. ft. @retail will also soon confirm details of a bistro bar and events business that is set to move into unit 1a at the new coastal hub. In all, the plans which will create around 175 jobs.
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