A £20.7 million package to "level up" Blyth has been announced, with Michael Gove saying the town is "finally getting the attention and investment it deserves."
It comes just under a month after Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, promised a bigger, better and bolder future for the North East after a historic £4.2 billion devolution deal was signed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in January.
The new round of funding for Blyth aims to help regenerate run-down housing, reduce health disparities, improve access to local jobs, increase skills training and keep young people off the street. The majority of the funding comes in an £18 million "boost" for housing, with the intention of repurposing run-down and empty homes into affordable housing - while some funding will go towards making social housing more energy-efficient.
Read more: Dismay as one of Northumberland's most deprived towns misses out on levelling up funding
Also included in the plans is £1.5m going towards employment support, with new training equipment at Blyth's Energy Central Campus. There are plans to tackle crime too, with £200,000 set aside to extend CCTV provision in the town centre and establish a new partnership between local businesses and the police, aimed at targeting anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and theft in particular.
The Government is also aiming to strengthen local partnerships between Jobcentre Plus and NHS services in the hope that more disabled people and those with health conditions can be supported getting into and staying in work. Currently the most deprived town in Northumberland, it is hoped that in the coming years thousands of new local jobs will be created in its green energy industries.
However, the many jobs that were promised from the Britishvolt gigafactory, one of the largest investments ever seen in the town, seem to be off the table after the start-up went into administration last month, leaving the future of the £3.8 billion factory in Cambois uncertain.
Michael Gove, Levelling Up Secretary, insists that the package will improve the lives of the local community and said: "For too long, Blyth has been deprived of the opportunities to make the most of its startling potential. Deeply entrenched issues require an ambitious solution, which is why we have worked closely with local leaders on a package of measures.
"Through revitalising dilapidated housing, upskilling the next generation and cracking down on crime, this town is finally getting the attention and investment it deserves to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive."
Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council hailed the investment as fantastic news, and promised the investment would deliver better homes, improve neighbourhoods and reduce crime in partnership with Northumbria Police, local businesses and the community. He also claimed that investment at the Energy Central Campus and support to connect NHS services and Job Centre support will help residents secure jobs in their hometown.
He said: "Today’s announcement boosts the multi-million-pound investment already planned through the council’s Energising Blyth Programme and Northumberland Line meaning we can now go further to realise Blyth’s huge potential at the heart of the Northumberland and the North East economy."
The announcement comes following Government investment in Blyth which includes a £20.9 million Town Deal, more than £11 million through the Future High Streets Fund for transport, cultural and regeneration projects. An additional £4.75m has gone towards helping industrial sites in the area, while Northumberland County Council is expected to see see £19.1 million through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £1.4 billion over 30 years through the north East devolution deal.
What do you think of the proposed investment in Blyth? Let us know!
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