Plans to kickstart a £130m transformation of towns soon to be linked by the Northumberland Line have been backed by council leaders.
Bosses at the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) have agreed to a £10m cash injection that it is hoped will encourage a wave of private investment to create new jobs and homes along a restored railway line set to open next year. New train services between Ashington and Newcastle’s Central Station are due to start running in December 2023, stopping inbetween at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland Park and Manors.
The region’s leaders are hoping that the long-awaited restoration of passenger services on a route used only by freight carriages since the 1960s will create a new “economic corridor” sparking a regeneration of the towns it runs through. A ten-point plan presented to the NTCA cabinet on Tuesday afternoon includes plans to unlock housing sites for developers, improve transport links to and from train stations, accelerate the growth of clean energy industries and create “compelling visitor experiences” for tourists.
Read More: £130m push for new jobs and homes as leaders bid to kickstart Northumberland Line regeneration boost
North Tyneside mayor Norma Redfearn told the meeting at Newcastle Civic Centre that the “really exciting” project would bring new employment opportunities, reduce poverty rates, cut the need for car journeys, and enhance the profile of towns on the Northumberland Line. She added: “Make no mistake, this is about our people. The people whose lives will change for the better because there are numerous opportunities from this development.”
As the cabinet backed the £10m allocation to “catalyse and accelerate delivery” of projects within the Northumberland Line plan, North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll added: “It is going to bring jobs, boost businesses, get homes built, reduce carbon emissions. £10m from us is going to lever in £130m, what’s not to like?”
The ten-point plan also includes backing regeneration projects in Ashington and Blyth, improving broadband connectivity, and physical upgrades to both Central Station and Manors.
An NTCA report states: “The new economic corridor opened up by rail investment in the Northumberland Line is a unique opportunity to drive our regional ambition of creating a dynamic and more inclusive economy, one that brings together people and opportunities to create vibrant communities and a high quality of life, narrowing inequalities and ensuring that all residents have a stake in our region’s future. Inclusive growth is not an add on, it is the primary reason and impetus for both the infrastructure and the wider economic corridor.”
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