Millions to be spent on improving cycle routes in Blyth, Ashington and Ponteland

The routes will create stronger and greener links in Ponteland, Ashington and Blyth, connecting residents to their places of work, education, and leisure.

Members of Northumberland County Council agreed to put forward £550,000 from the council’s local cycling and walking infratructure budget, adding to £4.8 million from third-party funding.

Speaking at the council’s cabinet meeting, deputy leader Coun Richard Wearmouth said: “Each scheme comes witha package of funding from external sources, which we’re very grateful as it eases pressure on our own budgets, with a contribution from the council amounting to several million pounds.

“It is a really important part of the council’s plan to get people into more sustainable modes of travel and enjoying the outdoors. They’re great projects and I’m sure they will be very welcome in all three of these local communities.”

Blyth will benfeit from the installation of a new toucan crossing at Renwick Road, to the south of Waterloo Road, linking Lynn Street to Bondicar Street. There will also be a new three-metre wide shared-use footway/cycleway from Bondicar Terrace up Waterloo Road, with a new parallel crossing on Waterloo Road.

There are also plans for improvements to the north-south corridor in Blyth, with a proposed town centre ‘gateway’ at the Waterloo Road/Renwick Road roundabout, to make a direct route across Blyth to South Beach. A total of £1.966 million will be added to the council’s budget from the Government’s Active Travel Fund.

In Ashington, there will be improvements made to the corridor that links the town centre to existing infrastructure via industrial and residential sites, the Northumberland Line station, Northumberland College and existing infrastructure in North Seaton. The council has allocated £500,000 from its budgets to a £1,496,500 grant from the Active Travel Fund.

In Ponteland, the Callerton Cycle Route will connect the town centre to the Newcastle city boundary line which will allow access to Callerton Metro Station for onward journeys. A grant of £816,000 has been accepted from the Transforming Cities Fund, while the cabinet also approved a £50,000 grant from its own funds.

Coun John Riddle, chairman of the Northumberland Cycling and Walking Board, said: “This is fantastic news and a real step forward towards more active and sustainable transport in our county.

“Infrastructure is one of the barriers to residents using more active means of travel and I’m so pleased we can start to make progress on these safer and more efficient routes.”