The Duke of Northumberland: An apology and correction
On December 7 we published an article concerning the Inquiry into the proposed new Northumberland passenger railway line between Newcastle and Ashington, which alleged that the Duke of Northumberland had demanded a sum of £600,000 a year in return for allowing the project to pass through his land.
We accept that these allegations were unfounded and ought not to have been published. We apologise unreservedly t o the Duke of Northumberland for the distress caused by the publication of our article.
We acknowledge and accept that, contrary to our article, the objectives of the ‘Northumberland Line’ scheme have the full support of the Duke of Northumberland.
The Northumberland Estates has a long history of supporting economic growth and employment within Northumberland, and the Northumberland Line is no different.