Northumberland Labour calls for updated consultations on regeneration proposals for Ashington and Blyth

Cllr Scott Dickinson said he and his Labour colleagues welcomed money being spent in Blyth and Ashington but raised concerns about the reliance on consultations conducted in 2017 for some of the proposals.

It comes after the publication of the Hirst Masterplan by the council, outlining ambitious Ashington regeneration plans. The plan was described as the council’s biggest ever regeneration project but has been met with questions about consultation as well as where the money for the proposals will come from.

Responding to the concerns raised by Cllr Dickinson and Ashington ward councillors, the council insisted that residents would be consulted on plans. It was also pointed out that there is an unprecedented amount of investment going into both towns.

Cllr Dickinson said: “Everybody is happy about money coming to Ashington but we are concerned that the plans are seven years old. There has been a lack of inclusion with local members.

“Things are being done to towns rather than working with local people. You have to take the towns with you, local members have to be involved.

“So much has changed in seven years. Is everything still valid for Ashington and Blyth?

“With Blyth, we have got to have a mixture of leisure, retail, and anchoring retail that brings people in, otherwise you will have a town centre full of students who are not going to have loads of money to spend.

“Everybody needs to work together. We welcome the investment, but if you do something to a town that people do not want, people do not use it, they do not support it, and it gets a negative start before it is even built.”

Responding to the comments, a spokesperson for the council said: “We are investing more money in these towns than at any time in the history of the council with well over £150m being spent in Blyth and Ashington in the coming years.

"We have always been clear we want to bring people with us on this regeneration journey, which forms such an important part of our commitment to tackle inequalities in the county.”