A new £4.5m retail and leisure scheme has opened for business in Northumberland in time for a busy summer of trading.
The Links scheme at South Beach in Blyth has been officially completed, with three businesses already up and running. Greggs, Caffe Ginevra and Shorelocks Hair and Beauty have all opened their doors at the scheme, which will also be welcoming a Co-op convenience store in the coming weeks.
North East retail property consultancy @retail, acting on behalf of Blagdon Estate and Kingsmead Developments, has recently completed a fifth letting to Breeze, a bistro bar and events business, which will open next month. The letting to Breeze means only three units currently remain within the first phase of the development.
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Stuart Hall of Kingsmead Developments said: “Reaching completion of Phase 1 is a fantastic milestone and with summer around the corner, it’s the perfect time for our first tenants to open their doors. Following our recent letting to Breeze, another exciting new business will soon be arriving here in this beautiful part of the Northumberland coastline. Given the prominence of the scheme and coastal position, we are confident that lettings will be secured for the final three units in the coming months.”
Anthony Finn of Caffe Ginerva, which offers Sicilian deli treats including cannoli, coffee and homemade ice cream, said: “We are delighted to have opened at The Links and it’s been a very busy start for us. The coastal location and range of shops and amenities at South Beach combine to make it a very popular location with tourists, day trippers and local residents.”
Two acres of adjacent land which were occupied by derelict farm buildings have now also been cleared, to make way for phase two of the scheme.
Blagdon Estate first secured permission for the two-storey development at Blyth’s South Beach in July 2020, following substantial residential development in the South Blyth area, which has seen hundreds of new homes built over the past 10 years.
The second phase is set to include a hotel and gastropub to bring further visitors to the area, where the beaches form part of a designated area of Special Nature Conservation, popular with families, cyclists, day trippers, water sports enthusiasts and residents alike.
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