New plans have been unveiled to show how almost £20 million could be spent to improve Blyth’s neighbourhoods. The cash from central Government will be spent across the next decade.
The money is proposed to be used to tackle empty properties in the town centre, hold events, improve the town centre and provide funding for community organisations. It follows consultation with the community by the county council and the Blyth Neighbourhood Board, made up of key figures from the private, public and community sectors.
The £19.5 million funding was agreed on the back of the wide-ranging Energising Blyth regeneration scheme that has already seen more than £90 million invested or committed to improvements in the town. The 10-year fund was agreed under the Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods initiative, but is broadly similar to the Long Term Plan for Towns (LTPFT) put forward by the previous Conservative Government.
Plans under the LTPFT were agreed by the cabinet and the Blyth Town Board last summer, but now the proposals have been updated in line with new guidance from Westminster.
Comment
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the council’s cabinet, the council’s deputy leader Coun Richard Wearmouth said: “This is detailing the sorts of ways that the Blyth Town Board, working with the county council, will deploy almost £20 million of funds into Blyth over the best part of 10 years.
“It builds on a huge amount of work already done in Blyth which has been changing Blyth significantly for the better.”
The plan will be submitted to the Government, who will then decide whether to release the funding. Blyth is one of 75 towns selected for support across the UK and is among the first tranche of towns to be included in the Plans for Neighbourhoods initiative.
Coun Wearmouth added: “We’re the first to submit which is fantastic. It means the Government can get on and give us the money as quickly as possible so we can get on.”
If approved, it is expected that the programme will launch in Spring next year, with applicants able to bid for “programme enabling funding” from that time.
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