Work set to start on £40m redevelopment of Spittal Point in Berwick
Long-awaited work is set to start on the £40m redevelopment of Spittal Point.
Berwick housing developer Simon Maden recently completed the acquisition of the site from William Leith.
“It's taken two-and-a-half years but we’re there,” said a delighted Simon.
The prime site by the River Tweed estuary has a 2014 planning permission in place for 136 homes.
This total will ‘likely be reduced’ in due course but Maden Eco is planning to build a mixture of terraced houses, detached houses and apartments.
Phase 1 will be the development of five terraced houses in a three bedroom configuration.
It is also planned to turn the old gas board house into a pair of two-bedroom semi detached houses.
A five phase development is planned over the next five to eight years.
The landmark chimney will be retained with an open landscaped area at its base.
Public parking will also remain, with the area to be remodelled and enlarged towards the end of the project.
Site compounds will be set up on Sandstell Road in the next three weeks.
Preparation works to establish the development site are anticipated to start around October 14.
Phase one piling in the area of the old gas works is anticipated to take place from October 26 to November 2.
Widening of North Greenwich Road will be an early task and at some point there will be a road closure on the very narrow section.
Simon notes: “One of the first jobs will be to make North Greenwich Rd a proper two lane road – we are gifting land to Northumberland County Council to accommodate the second lane needed at the narrow point outside Nixons old yard.”
A surface water outfall pipe will also be installed in the first six months to the mean tide line on the little beach. Traffic lights and a short time closure will be required.
“We will as a courtesy to the local people be trying to keep you informed ahead of schedule as you deserve that from us,” he adds.
The update resulted in dozens of comments from local residents on the firm’s Facebook page.
Simon posted: “Thankyou for mostly positive comments, I will say that you can please some people some of the time but won’t please everybody all of the time.
“Have faith and judge us in a year’s time and then a year after that and so on.”