Row reignites over Ashington 'Hole' site

The campaign has been relaunched, with the Ashington Whole group demanding action from the Conservative administration at Northumberland County Council.

The ‘hole’ refers to the Portland Park site where the new council HQ was to be built under the previous Labour-run authority, before the scheme was dropped when the Tories took control after the May 2017 elections.

An open letter has been circulated, which the group says has support from several Ashington town and county councillors, with the list of signatories ‘growing by the hour’.

But a Conservative spokesman said that the project to develop a new cinema – which received planning permission in January – remains on track despite coronavirus and that ‘the continued investment is a huge vote of confidence in Ashington’.

The open letter, addressed to council leader Peter Jackson, calls for the authority to ‘commit to a review into Northumberland County Council into why the abandonment of Ashington has been allowed to take place’ and ‘to publish a concrete plan, with dates and times, for future developments of the hole’.

It also warns the council to ‘refrain from using coronavirus as an excuse for failing to develop the hole, as it has been this way for three years’.

Liam Lavery, deputy leader of Ashington Town Council and one of the signatories of the letter, said: “The Ashington Hole group has said all along they knew it was politically motivated and knew the hole would still be smack-bang in the middle of Ashington for years.

“The Tories at County Hall have had three years to develop the site and have failed Ashington residents. It’s just not good enough.

“The elections are coming up next year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they start manoeuvring now in order to appease people. People in Ashington won’t buy it. The damage is done.”

However, a Conservative party spokesman said: “It is sad to see Ashington being talked down by a Facebook page that has all the appearances of being a front for the local Labour Party.

“The multi-screen cinema, restaurants and complementary retail units proposed for Portland Park were granted planning permission in early 2020 and despite issues associated with coronavirus, the project remains on track for construction later this year.

“Contracts have already been agreed with a cinema operator, something which this so-called anonymous Facebook page claimed would never happen.

“In March this year, national retailer TJ Morris (which trades as Home Bargains) also submitted a planning application for a new 20,000 sq ft retail store on plot two at Portland Park, directly opposite the cinema site, another huge investment in the Ashington economy.

“Meanwhile, the Government and our Conservative council continue apace with the work to return passenger railway services to Ashington, something that Labour failed to deliver over many decades.

“At a time where the retail climate across the UK is so challenging, the continued investment is a huge vote of confidence in Ashington by private investors and the Government who, unlike the local Labour Party, know that Ashington’s best days are ahead.”

Last April, the authority’s cabinet approved a non-repayable grant of £3million and a loan of £4.7million (repayable with interest) to Advance Northumberland, the council-owned company which replaced Arch, to deliver this scheme. Advance is contributing £1million.

Then in June, a deal was announced with Reel Cinemas, a nationwide operator with 14 facilities across the UK, before the planning application was lodged in August.

In early April this year, Advance said it was continuing to work on its town-centre projects as these ‘will be vital in propelling our economy’ when coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The Ashington project was one where work was reported to be progressing off-site.

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