Ashington works pushed back again

On Tuesday (7 November) Tory-run Northumberland County Council’s cabinet agreed to transfer money out of schemes to regenerate Ashington to others in the county with a view to reallocating in the next financial year. Council documents show the justification for this being slippage in the Ashington town centre schemes.

Leader of the opposition Labour group Scott Dickinson said: “When a minority Conservative administration took control of Northumberland County Council in 2017, they immediately withdrew a scheme to put hundreds of well-paid jobs in the centre of Ashington, despite the cost to the taxpayer. Since then, they have proceeded to spend tens of millions of pounds on the County Hall site in Morpeth they said only needed a lick of paint.

“South East Northumberland has been badly let down by Conservatives at both national and local levels, with the cost of living crisis pushing residents and businesses to the brink of calamity. That national failure has been made worse by the scaling back of projects and failure to deliver investment for the county’s towns. Schemes promised in Ashington and Bedlington have stalled and residents are rightly wondering what impact soaring inflation will have on promised funds.

“Even the Ashington the Blyth and Tyne line, which is currently progressing well, lacks ambition for our communities. When originally proposed by the Labour council the scheme included a stop at Woodhorn with bus connectivity to Newbiggin and the rural coalfield. This was removed and the stations now being developed are little more than bus shelters on the platform edge.”

Councillor Caroline Ball, who represents Ashington Town centre, said: “This latest delay is another blow to Ashington at the hands of Conservative failure. While they have made grand claims of projects and money being brought into the town, these are yet to materialise.

“Having served almost two terms in office, the Tory Council have sat on a development site in the heart of the town with vague promises of a cinema and now they are dragging their heels on the Wansbeck Square site.

“When they tell us these things will happen we shouldn’t forget they have promised to dual the A1 in Northumberland for a decade with not one metre of new road laid.

“It is clear that both in Northumberland and nationally Tory failure is holding back our communities and that we need a fresh start.”