Latest on Tesco site development

[_pauls]

Any word on whats happening at the Tesco site - last I heard there was a planning application in which was due to be heard in March but I've seen nothing since.

Arch set up http://www.investinginbedlington.co.uk/ to keep us all informed about their wonderful work but the last update on the Tesco redevelopment (aside from a piece about naming the place) was back in February.

I noticed when driving past the other day there are building materials stacked up in the compound - any idea whats going to be complete by when?

[rosco]

http://www.investinginbedlington.co.uk/News

 

seems to answer a few questions......looks like it was added today

[rosco]

But then again according to today's journal Arch have axed some projects including bedlington 

[_pauls]

20 hours ago, rosco said:

http://www.investinginbedlington.co.uk/News

 

seems to answer a few questions......looks like it was added today

Ah yes - I left the a message on the contact us page requesting an update.

[Andy Millne]

https://www.wansbeck-conservatives.com/news/no-pause-bedlington-regeneration

 

[Maggie/915]

Fingers crossed something happens soon.

Considering how quickly the new houses can be built locally, let's hope by this time next year we have a town centre again.

Bedlington was an important centre in the past and will be again.

[Andy Millne]

Multi-million pound Bedlington scheme to be approved as Arch's future hangs in balance

Plans to rejuvenate town centre will ensure 'Bedlington is at last ready to join the 21st century', says councillor

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/multi-million-pound-bedlington-scheme-13122421

 

[Bedlingtonian]

Great news about the town centre development. Councillors have also been recommended to approve plans for 500 homes in the town. Is that another 1000+ patients for the GP's to deal with at the health centre and additional class numbers for the local schools to manage? 

[webtrekker]

Yes, but don't forget, a massive 15% of those new homes will be 'affordable!' 

[moe19]

Without giving it much thought I can think of seven pubs that have closed in the last two or three years so why on earth would anyone think it a good idea to build another one , and its no good saying its for families to go for food as that was the format of the  Ridge farm, maybe it will be handy for the bad lads and tha mates attending court to use as a meeting room and have a few bevies before sentencing . Also another food retailer ? surely some one is having a laugh, Tesco could not make it viable when it was the only food retailer in Bedlington , now we have Morrisons and Lidle, opening a third outlet is only going to hurt them and before we know it one of them will close and we will have another empty shop. I dont think anyone had thought these ideas out and its just a case of hoy that up and keep em happy        

Edited June 3, 2017 by moe19

[mercuryg]

To be honest, Moe, I don't think anything will get built unless there is a certainty that a retailer/pub chain/commercial entity has guaranteed to take it up. 

[Jmagic]

I think the area will lay empty for a few years while Archole and the council protest its still going ahead and has massive plans to rejuvenate Bedlington.its a load of tosh,how quick did they demolish Tesco and plan to build a wonderful retail area with shops, the council are full of it

[moe19]

 We will probably never have the opportunity again to have such a large town centre site available for development, it should be used to the best advantage of the people of the Town.              I believe it should be used to build the Town a sports centre and swimming pool and community facilities  that we could be proud of and that would most certainly be more appreciated and used by residents  than another boozer or purveyor of cheap beans.  

Edited June 3, 2017 by moe19

[Bedlingtonian]

On ‎02‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 18:53, webtrekker said:

Yes, but don't forget, a massive 15% of those new homes will be 'affordable!' 

The concept of 'affordable' homes is great although how many will be bought by wealthy parents investing in property for their children.

[_pauls]

I think we could do with a family friendly pub - I live within about 200 yards of the old Ridge Farm - went in maybe twice in the 5 years between us moving here and it closing. Never liked it - sterile atmosphere and very old-school food. Personally the only place we go with our daughter is the Red Lion - some competition to that would be most welcome. I wouldn't take my 10 yr old in any of the other pubs in town.

As for a food retailer - the Tesco store was too small to be of any real interest to Tesco management. Now we have Lidl which is a little better  in terms of size but with the drawback that most people will find it too lacking in high street brands, Morrisons which is (and always has been)  hell on earth, and the Co-Op in the old Ridge Farm site which is great as an off-licence but not of any value for real food shopping. If the new food retail site is a sensible size there will be room for it to thrive - certainly alongside Lidl and the likes of the Co-Op and Londis - might spell the end for Morrisons though.

I'd love a leisure centre, especially given the ridiculous prices for the "Sporting Club Bedlington" but it won't happen - I think the current proposals are as good as we're going to get - not devoted to housing and with a reasonable balance between large and small retail units and leisure.

[Andy Millne]

I have to agree with @_pauls You can have fifty pubs but if they don't have "kerb appeal" people won't use them. Yes it's a generalisation of people's likes and dislikes but it's changing behaviours. The typical local boozer format doesn't seem very successful anymore. The only ones doing well are ones that offer exceptional food, location and service or at least a combination of two of these. 

The ridge farm was exceptional in its day but got old and was never able to successfully rejuvenate itself. A brewers fayre type format would offer people something new on their doorstep and a familiar modern offering. 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

14 hours ago, _pauls said:

I think we could do with a family friendly pub - I live within about 200 yards of the old Ridge Farm - went in maybe twice in the 5 years between us moving here and it closing. Never liked it - sterile atmosphere and very old-school food.

The wife and I would probably visit the Ridge Farm once a month, mid-week, for the carvery and we thoroughly enjoyed what was on offer at the carvery. However my wife, a lover of all vegetables, did think the carvery vegetable choice had been reduced and wasn't up to past standards. One evening whist being served at the carvery  the wife had a discussion with the head chef and she asked him what he thought about Wetherspoons taking over the Red Lion and was it affecting the trade at the Ridge Farm. He replied - 'yes, and that's where I go for a pint as it's much cheaper'. 

[moe19]

Sorry lads but I don't see why  the council (Arch )should use public/our   money be it borrowed or otherwise to build boozers , what next will they be building bookies or strip clubs. If any of the big brewers wanted to come to Bedlington let them use some of the millions in profits they make to build a pub themselves, but they wont because they know it is not viable .

A sports and leisure centre is a more healthy option for our children and the community in general, rather than having the kids sitting in a pub , I have some such centres who I supply my business services to. some  do incorporate a restaurant and bar function suits  and cinema screenings  in them franchised out to an operator. in some cases the entire centre is franchised out.        

  ,

[Andy Millne]

I totally agree with you that public money should not be used to 100% subsidise private business @moe19 I think Wetherspoons has shown that it is viable however and may become attractive to big brewers as part of a larger development.

[moe19]

1 hour ago, Andy Millne said:

I totally agree with you that public money should not be used to 100% subsidise private business @moe19 I think Wetherspoons has shown that it is viable however and may become attractive to big brewers as part of a larger development.

The Wetherspoons situation is a little like the Bedlington supermarkets  Andy , just enough turnover for one or at a push two, but if another one opens you have the same volume of customers spending money between three stores instead of one/two stores.

Also I know Wetherspoons and   big brewers will only buy  property and will not rent or lease such as would be the case in the Bedlington development. renting or leasing would give these companies no assets.    If anyone was interested it would probably be a small independent pub operator with limited finances  looking for a pitch with heavy footfall to rent/lease and if things did not work out well they could walk away, leaving the Council looking for a new tenant/leaseholder and possibly having the building empty.   

Edited June 4, 2017 by moe19

[_pauls]

3 minutes ago, moe19 said:

The Wetherspoons situation is a little like the Bedlington supermarkets  Andy , just enough turnover for one or at a push two, but if another one opens you have the same volume of customers spending money between three stores instead of one/two stores.    

I disagree... as a family we eat out once or twice a week and if we're bored of the Red Lion we go to somewhere like the Comissioners Quay in Blyth or the Snowy Owl in Cramlington, so our money goes out of Bedlington. If we had another decent family friendly pub in town we'd be less likely to head out of the town and boost the economy of another part of the area.

Also on a number of occasions recently we've either not gone to the Red Lion, or have gone and then walked out because its too busy and I couldn't get a table, so I'm not sure you can say there's "just enough turnover for one".

Personally I agree I'd rather have a leisure centre but we aren't getting one, but I'm happy to have more choice in terms of pubs/restaurants rather than just more houses or small retail units.

 

[moe19]

8 minutes ago, _pauls said:

I disagree... as a family we eat out once or twice a week and if we're bored of the Red Lion we go to somewhere like the Comissioners Quay in Blyth or the Snowy Owl in Cramlington, so our money goes out of Bedlington. If we had another decent family friendly pub in town we'd be less likely to head out of the town and boost the economy of another part of the area.

Also on a number of occasions recently we've either not gone to the Red Lion, or have gone and then walked out because its too busy and I couldn't get a table, so I'm not sure you can say there's "just enough turnover for one".

Personally I agree I'd rather have a leisure centre but we aren't getting one, but I'm happy to have more choice in terms of pubs/restaurants rather than just more houses or small retail units.

 

Well Pauls  Northumberland County Council has had some of the old wood pruned  away, and are making a number of changes to the plans and schemes put forward by of the previous councillors, who knows we may get our centre yet, I for one think the people of Bedlington deserve it   

[pilgrim]

NCC seem to have a good track record of 'pruning the old wood away' particularly at Count Hall... runs and hides

[webtrekker]

8 hours ago, pilgrim said:

NCC seem to have a good track record of 'pruning the old wood away' particularly at Count Hall... runs and hides

I still remember the 'old wood'  they 'pruned away' for our Lidl friends... 

[_pauls]

18 hours ago, moe19 said:

Well Pauls  Northumberland County Council has had some of the old wood pruned  away, and are making a number of changes to the plans and schemes put forward by of the previous councillors, who knows we may get our centre yet, I for one think the people of Bedlington deserve it   

Much as I hope you're right, I interpreted the comments about amending the plans as fine tuning rather than a total rethink, and given that Ashington's new leisure centre cost double what the whole project for Bedlington is costing I doubt that Arch/the council will be able to squeeze it in.