Store plan will create 200 jobs in town
Jan 19 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal
ALMOST 200 new jobs are in the pipeline for a Northumberland town as part of a £7.6m investment by one of the country’s leading supermarket chains.
Morrisons is planning to replace its existing supermarket in Blyth with a much bigger and more modern superstore as part of a wider regeneration programme which will see almost £20m invested in the town centre over the next three years.
The project was unveiled a year ago and agents acting for regional development agency One North East are currently acquiring property in the area which is needed to pave the way for building the new 12,000sq metre store.
This week Blyth Valley councillors will be told the scheme will create about 196 jobs, bringing a major employment boost to the town during the growing recession.
It is not yet clear when the new superstore will be built, but it is planned on the existing supermarket’s car park and adjoining land. Morrisons says it will boast a high-quality design and incorporate a number of renewable energy and sustainability elements.
The new store is part of a wider regeneration programme in Blyth which proposes investment of more than £25m to revitalise and upgrade the town’s retail heart, including the market place and Keel Row shopping centre.
It is hoped that another 460 jobs could be created under plans to re-develop the existing Arriva bus garage site.
Yesterday Blyth Valley Council leader Dave Stephens said the £7.6m Morrisons investment was fantastic news for the town.
“We will have a much bigger store and new jobs will be created. It is a brilliant boost in today’s economic climate and we can only hope that it happens sooner rather than later.
“It will help greatly in an area of high unemployment and there are quite a few properties in the area being bought by One North East so that the scheme can go ahead.
“We have already invested £3m in improving Blyth market place and our aim is to create a town centre more big name stores like Morrisons want to come to.”
Discussions are going on between Morrisons and One North East on a financial contribution to the cost of the superstore project. No-one was available for comment at Morrisons yesterday.
The Blyth regeneration programme aims to link the town centre and market place to the nearby quayside, where millions of pounds have been spent in the past 15 years.
