£20m investment to 'revitalise' town centre

Blyth is one of the more economically deprived areas in the North East

Reviving the high street, tackling anti-social behaviour and improving transport are among the priorities for a town's £20m funding package.

Northumberland County Council said the 10-year plan, just approved by its cabinet, would transform Blyth.

The money builds on work already under way through the £90m Energising Blyth programme

Deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said: “This is welcome news for Blyth to help capitalise on the huge potential of the clean energy sector and revitalise the town centre."

The new plan will be submitted to the government to seek formal approval in August.

This follows an announcement of the funding becoming available in September 2023, when the then-Conservative government described Blyth as "the most deprived" in a "left-behind" county.

The Port of Blyth has been operating for 900 years and was an important submarine base during both world wars

Statistics for the town, compared to the national average, suggest significantly lower levels of home ownership, with people much less likely to describe themselves as in good health.

But Mr Wearmouth, Conservative, said there were already "significant improvements".

“The new welding centre is already open on the Quayside and the new Energy Central Learning Hub opens next door this autumn, creating opportunities for local people to gain new skills," he added.

A new cinema has three screens, with the largest expected to seat 120 people.

He said construction of the new Market Pavilion, three-screen cinema and improvements to Market Place and Bridge Street were "well under way".

"We are all looking forward to the Northumberland Line opening to passengers soon too," he added.

Thom Bradley, member of Blyth Town Board, described the news as "a real boost".

"Blyth is already a fantastic town in so many ways and this investment will make it even better as a place to live, work and invest," he said.

Follow BBC North East on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].