Town centre redevelopment on hold?

[_pauls]

Why am I unsurprised?

https://www.newspostleader.co.uk/news/bedlington-regeneration-scheme-stalls-awaiting-tenant-approval-1-9568164

 

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Because every development hits snags, that's life and with the increasing online shopping, that a lot of us do, high street shopping centers are risky businesses. Developers will always have retailers changing their minds and after better deals - .  

[_pauls]

I'm honestly not a paranoid cynic or political axe grinder but this is really getting beyond a joke. I would love to believe all will turn out great but I just can't help feeling that things will stall for 6 months and then we'll be told that its all going to be turned into housing.

Planning permission was granted in early 2017 and we are now into 2019 with not a stone laid for the new town centre. The "Investing in Bedlington" website which is supposed to keep us up to date only seems to be updated  when I e-mail them asking for an update. It's latest news is 3 months old and has been superceded by this latest update in the local press.

I really hope I am proven wrong.

I moved here from out of the area 9 years ago and have seen the town gain a huge number of additional residents and seen either static provision or a decline, for retail, entertainment, schools and healthcare.

If we've lost our anchor food retailer then can we not stop flogging a dead horse (after all Lidl kind of replaced Tesco) and go for something that will attract visitors to the town like a cinema, leisure centre, arts venue etc.

Just please not a derelict building site or 300 new homes.

I'm sure those in charge of the development have already thought of all of this but faith is wearing thin.

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by _pauls

[rosco]

We never needed a third supermarket.....Aldi (if rumours were true) have obviously realised this and will probably go elsewhere leaving Bedlington up the creek without a paddle 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

15 hours ago, rosco said:

We never needed a third supermarket.....Aldi (if rumours were true) have obviously realised this and will probably go elsewhere leaving Bedlington up the creek without a paddle 

These days is that not the same in every 'small' town? Retailers pulling out of agreements because of the changing markets and local planning committees left with empty retail space they can't get anyone to use.

I have always blamed supermarkets for killing off small high street businesses. Are there any restrictions on what supermarkets can sell or are they allowed to compete in every market eg - electrical - technology - clothes - insurance etc. etc

[rosco]

On 01/02/2019 at 20:23, _pauls said:

I'm honestly not a paranoid cynic or political axe grinder but this is really getting beyond a joke. I would love to believe all will turn out great but I just can't help feeling that things will stall for 6 months and then we'll be told that its all going to be turned into housing.

Planning permission was granted in early 2017 and we are now into 2019 with not a stone laid for the new town centre. The "Investing in Bedlington" website which is supposed to keep us up to date only seems to be updated  when I e-mail them asking for an update. It's latest news is 3 months old and has been superceded by this latest update in the local press.

I really hope I am proven wrong.

I moved here from out of the area 9 years ago and have seen the town gain a huge number of additional residents and seen either static provision or a decline, for retail, entertainment, schools and healthcare.

If we've lost our anchor food retailer then can we not stop flogging a dead horse (after all Lidl kind of replaced Tesco) and go for something that will attract visitors to the town like a cinema, leisure centre, arts venue etc.

Just please not a derelict building site or 300 new homes.

I'm sure those in charge of the development have already thought of all of this but faith is wearing thin.

 

To be honest after shopping in Morpeth town centre and Cramlington manor walks today we may as well just build houses and a pub on the land

There has been an increase in empty shops in Morpeth and Cramlington so what hope for us,and lets be honest who is going to take the units on.We don't need a third food retailer/supermarket and if it did go ahead i think a few shops from the high street would move premises leaving more empty shops.

Gone are the days when we would get butcher,baker,fruit shop etc.....all we will get is more coffee shops,hair salons,nail bars or takeaways.So we may as well save another year or two of public consultations/strategy meetings etc and just build the houses and pub

Edited February 6, 2019 by rosco
spelling

[_pauls]

It will be utterly criminal if all we get is houses and a pub - Bedlington cannot simply continue expanding its population without doing anything about schools, healthcare, leisure etc.

[rosco]

I agree with you.......but who is going to fill all those shops as well as the empty units on the front street

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

4 hours ago, _pauls said:

It will be utterly criminal if all we get is houses and a pub - Bedlington cannot simply continue expanding its population without doing anything about schools, healthcare, leisure etc.

It's the same in every town pauls - Morpeth - Ashington - Blyth etc. they are all building houses and hopefully once the the infrastructure is completed the need for extra schools, healthcare and leisure will follow.

If you had the choice what would you build first - schools, healthcare and leisure that all require yearly funding and require additional residents to use those facilities or would invest in  the facilities, and yearly funding, before you have the  population to use those those facilities?

I know many facilities are stretched to the limit but the larger the housing population surely the more income the local councils have  to spend on the facilities.

Catch 22 or just need dynamic councilors to go into the red (if they are allowed to ) and keep their fingers crossed that all will work out in the long run.

[Canny lass]

On 06/02/2019 at 21:43, rosco said:

.all we will get is more coffee shops,hair salons,nail bars or takeaways.

... or we may get an entirely new form of retail in the town centre. Internet shopping is undoubtedly a cause of diminished highstreet activity but retailers are keen to keep customers and may just come up with new forms of selling. One  clothing retailer here, has just opened new shops in three major cities. They aren't your usual: walk in, try on, pay and take away type of outlet. They are walk in, try on and order type of shops. You can pay on ordering or when the goods are delivered to your door. People seem to love it! I know I would!

Internet or no internet, we  girls like - and always will like - a day on the town, shopping and lunching. That we don't have to cart a load of bags around would just be an added bonus.

 

[_pauls]

On 09/02/2019 at 15:52, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

hopefully once the the infrastructure is completed

And when will that be? How many new houses have we had in the last 5 years with no new facilities?

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

55 minutes ago, _pauls said:

And when will that be? How many new houses have we had in the last 5 years with no new facilities?

Now that question I could not answer. I doubt if a local councilor could. Is it not down to the local council to invite the relevant organisations, companies etc. etc. to invest and open facilities in the town but surely the the final say will always be those who want to invest in the town eg. business people - NHS for doctors surgeries ? - the government of the day to provide local governments with the money to invest in infrastructure ------- .

You need a local councilor to answer those points but do they have the time to answer on a small local group like this one?