Ian Levy MP: Window on Westminster

The first Blyth Valley Youth Festival was a great success with lots of organisations getting together to showcase their services to young people in Blyth Valley. Thanks to Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project for hosting the event and to The Harrison Foundation for their financial support to CVYP for the event.

I hope the young people who attended got something from it. Exam results are now all out and early signs in Northumberland are that young people have done well. Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and I hope you have managed to get the results you needed for whatever is next.

The annual Blyth Valley Jobs Fair is back for the third time in partnership with Department of Work and Pensions on Friday 15th September at Blyth Sports Centre. If you’re looking for a new job (at any age) or have just left school and are looking at great career options, then please come along and meet the excellent employers and get great careers advice. Royal Navy, Merit Engineering, Drager, JDR Cables and Northumberland County Council are just some of the employers who will be there.

A highlight of my summer has been a tour of the Northumberland Line constructions sites by the main contractor Morgan Sindall. It is one of my proudest achievements as the MP for Blyth Valley to have secured funding for this almost £200m project to reopen the line to passenger services after it was closed under the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

There will be six new stations, currently in various stages of construction at Ashington, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington, Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park. Construction commenced.

The journey time from Ashington to Newcastle Central Station will be around 35 minutes and passengers can connect to The Tyne and Wear Metro at Northumberland Park. We are expecting multi-modal ticketing with the Metro. The expected completion is autumn next year.

On my tour we discussed the economic benefits of this huge investment which include reduce congestion and journey times, increased inward investment into South East Northumberland, increased house values. easier access to jobs in metropolitan Tyneside and of course, the construction jobs using local people where possible.

I can’t wait to see it open.