Hundreds expected at Prudhoe main street meeting

Mar 15 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

HUNDREDS of people are expected to turn up to a meeting that is being held to decide the future of a Northumberland town’s main street.

An application to overhaul Front Street in Prudhoe, including a new supermarket and more than 100 new homes, will go before Tynedale Council on Wednesday.

The 68-page application will go before the council development control committee, with a recommendation that the scheme be given the go-ahead, subject to conditions.

But the chairman of Prudhoe Traders Association, John Short, said there were still large numbers of people with major concerns about the scheme, and he urged them to go to the meeting to have their say.

He said: “As a hairdresser, I speak to all sorts of people and most of them are saying that they are not in favour of the scheme as it is.

“No one is against developing the town, we all know it needs to be done, but it has to be done in the right way.

“The application has appeared on an agenda at the council earlier than we expected, but we need people to make sure they get down there to have their say.

“From the number of people I have spoken to, we could have hundreds down there – if not more than 1,000.

“There is talk of groups of pensioners hiring buses to travel down as a group and have their input.

“This is make-or-break for the future of our town.”

Earlier this week, The Journal reported how Northumberland Estates had carried out a survey in the town regarding the development and that the response had been “overwhelmingly positive”.

The developers also say that they have made numerous revisions to the scheme to make sure it fits with what people want for their town.

Given the scale of the development and conflict of opinion, Mr Short added that a public inquiry may be the best way to resolve the application.

Colin Barnes, development director for Northumberland Estates, said: “We are very pleased to have the council’s recommendation for approval for our plans and hope that the decision of the planning committee will reflect this.

“We have worked very hard, in consultation with the local community, to produce a high quality development which would fit into the existing town centre and stop leakage out of Prudhoe to surrounding towns.

“We believe that this scheme provides all the elements that Prudhoe needs in order to move forward with its regeneration.”

A spokesman for the council confirmed that the meeting will be held in the council chamber at Prospect House, Hexham, at 6pm on Wednesday.