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Politicians say they're "devastated" at delays to a £10m development intended to revitalise a Northumberland town centre.
The scheme to regenerate the site of the former Tesco supermarket, in Bedlington, is on hold. Delays came after the much-anticipated 'well-known food retailer', said to be interested in the site, could not be locked down.
Early work to prepare the site has been completed, but has now stalled, until the key "anchor tenant" can be confirmed for development.
Estimated to cost £10m overall, it was also set to feature more shops, apartments and car parks. Work was initially meant to start in “late 2017”, but ground was eventually official broken in November last year.
Representatives of Advance Northumberland, the council company delivering the project, insist they remain "absolutely committed" to the scheme, and will begin discussions with other companies who might fill the gap.
But Bedlington Labour representatives have expressed their concerns.
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The redevelopment of Bedlington town centre has stalled while final sign-off from the key tenant is awaited, following the completion of ground works.
And a warning has been issued that if no word is received soon then other interested parties will be sounded out.
Advance Northumberland is leading in the delivery of the major regeneration project focused around the town's former Tesco site.
The Northumberland County Council-owned development company, which replaced Arch, describes the scheme as an "opportunity to reposition Bedlington as a retail destination, improving amenities and giving local people greater choice".
Tolent, Advance Northumberland's appointed contractor, has recently completed an enabling package of works to prepare the site for construction.
However, the actual development can only start once the anchor tenant formally commits to the scheme.
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Mere mention the words soft play will ramp up the excitement levels in most young ones and the North East certainly has plenty choice when it comes to places which are perfect for burning off all that energy.
Ok, so they may not be every parents' choice but a trip out to a soft play area is guaranteed to please the little tykes.
With more than 25 such facilities in and around the region, there really is a wide enough range of facilities - from climbing walls and ball pools to  slides and go-kart tracks - to please everyone and no matter how old the children are, they will be able to join in the fun.
And who knows but parents may get a chance to relax and catch up with a friend over coffee while the young ones enjoy the entertainment.
Here's our guide, with more to come, of some of the top soft play centres in and around Newcastle.
Benfield Business Park, Walkergate
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Six areas of Northumberland which have seen large numbers of new homes approved recently have been highlighted as requiring an expansion of GP and other healthcare facilities.
Northumberland County Council planning officers made a presentation to last Thursday's (January 17) meeting of the health and wellbeing board about the healthcare implications of the final draft of the Local Plan, as they did at the July meeting in relation to the first draft.
There are a number of policies in the document which deal with or touch on health and wellbeing elements, including one to limit the number of hot-food takeaways, but one of the main concerns remains around healthcare infrastructure.
The development framework is supported by an almost 200-page Infrastructure Delivery Plan, which aims to ensure new housing is supported by the necessary services.
It refers to a number of areas which 'have already seen multiple, large-scale planning applications for housing in recent years' and which 'will require increased capacity in primary-care infrastructure'.
These are: Amble/Broomhill; Ashington/Newbiggin; Bedlington/Guidepost; Cramlington; Morpeth/Pegswood; Alnwick.
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Five parks in Northumberland are to be upgraded thanks to an investment of £287,000.
Northumberland County Council's cabinet approved to spend £204,000, with the remaining £83,000 funded by contributions from the likes of town and parish councils.
As part of its medium-term financial plan, the local authority has already set aside capital funding of £150,000 per year from 2018-19 to 2020-21 to invest in parks and green spaces.
So far, money has been spent at Jennings Field in Bedlington , Astley Park in Seaton Delaval, and Eastwood Park in Prudhoe.
Following the sign-off on Tuesday, Blyth's Ridley Park and Mermaid play area, Alexandra Park in Cramlington , Gallagher Park in Bedlington, and Rothbury's Riverside play area are all set to benefit.
At Ridley Park, £45,000 will be spent in total with £25,000 being used to refurbish the hugely-popular water play area.
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Cuts to council tax support in Northumberland were given the final nod this week as the cost-saving measure was put to a vote by all county councillors.
From April, all households in the county will have to pay a minimum of 8% of their council tax bill, following approval for changes to save £1m a year.
At Northumberland County Council's full meeting this week, members agreed a reduction in the level of council tax support for working-age claimants to 92%. The current scheme provides up to 100%, meaning that some households pay no council tax.
To a typical band A property, the change will mean a council tax bill of £98.55 per year for a couple/family or £73.91 for a single person.
The much-discussed proposal, which has attracted some fervent criticism but was supported by a majority of respondents during a six-week consultation, was passed by 31 votes to 26.
There were six abstentions - the Lib Dems and the Bedlington Independents - who could have swayed the vote the other way.
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An elderly woman had her purse stolen on Boxing Day after being asked for a glass of water in an alleged distraction burglary.
An investigation was launched by officers at Northumbria Police after a report was made on December 26 of an alleged burglary at the home of an elderly woman on Disraeli Street, Blyth.
The alleged victim reported that a man had knocked on her door asking for a glass of water – but later discovered her purse and a couple of other items were missing.
Police believe the man had attempted to disguise his identity using a coat, scarf and glasses.
Christopher Beaney, 40 from Lonsdale Avenue, Bebside, was later arrested and charged with burglary.
He appeared at Bedlington Magistrates’ Court on December 28 where he pleaded not guilty to the offence and is next due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on January 25.
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Detectives have made a fresh appeal for witnesses after two people were allegedly stabbed in Alnwick minutes apart.
The two alleged assaults happened in neighbouring streets in the Northumberland town in the early hours of Thursday, December 27.
Officers were first called to an address on Sycamore Avenue at around 1.37am where a 37-year-old man was found and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries consistent with a stabbing.
One minute later, a second alleged stabbing was reported at Howling Lane.
Emergency services arrived and a 33-year-old woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries consistent with a stabbing. She has since been discharged from hospital.
Two men have been charged in connection with the alleged assaults but the officer leading the investigation has made a fresh appeal for witnesses who noticed anything suspicious.


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