New look planned for old pit
May 31 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal
FAMILIES in Northumberland’s biggest town are to be asked for their views on plans to revitalise a redundant pit site with hundreds of new homes and a school.
A series of public exhibitions start this week to allow people in Blyth to have their say on the proposals for the former Bates Colliery, which closed in the mid-1980s.
A masterplan for the riverside land forms part of a wider, multi-million pound regeneration programme for the town centre, quayside and links area which will take shape over the next few years.
Major investment is proposed in a new Morrisons supermarket and the redevelopment of key sites, such as the bus depot and the Dun Cow and Commissioners’ Quays next to the River Blyth.
The Bates Colliery site is seen as an important gateway to the town in regeneration agency SENNTRi’s plans to give Blyth a new future. It will be redeveloped along with the neighbouring Hodgson’s Road housing estate, where about 300 homes are set to be demolished and replaced.
Northumberland County Council is planning a new primary school on the Bates site and an outline planning application has been submitted by the Banks Group and UK Coal to build up to 327 new homes.
Blyth Valley Council is holding a series of exhibitions starting on Monday and running until June 30 to answer questions about the plans and give people an opportunity to express their views. Venues and times are currently being arranged and details will be sent to local households.
Portfolio holder for regeneration, Coun Grant Davey, said yesterday: “These are exciting times in Blyth. This is a very welcome step forward to develop an area that has stood empty for 20 years.
“This, along with the proposals for the town centre and quayside, clearly demonstrates that Blyth is an attractive place for business and developers to invest in, giving the town a really positive future.”
Families on the Hodgson’s Road estate have already supported moves to provide new, high-quality homes, community facilities, play areas and green spaces.
A masterplan for the area, drawn up last year, aims to create a new community of people renting and owning their own homes and living together, rather than being segregated into separate estates.
