Redevelopment of Bedlington town centre set to enter next phase with first new Market Place shops almost done

The building currently home to Greggs is set to be demolished and a new terrace of three retail units and six flats will be built in its place.

Greggs will move into the neighbouring first phase of the development after construction finishes in August, with the bakery chain hoping to have the new outlet open by September.

The first phase contains a total of four retail units and six flats, a mix of one and two bedrooms, that will be available to rent from Advance Northumberland Homes.

Jeff Reid, chair of Advance Northumberland, said: “The project is central to the regeneration of Bedlington town centre, providing much needed new retail and amenities for local people.

“We have put a significant number of resources and time into this development and by taking the initiative and dealing with the site preparation work, we have demonstrated our commitment to deliver the best possible development for Bedlington.”

Councillor Christine Taylor, who represents Bedlington Central, said: “It is great to see some progress on this site in the centre of our town. We are all keen to see this phase completed and to see what is planned for the next phase.

“As the local councillor I know people in Bedlington really want to see investment into the town, and this is welcome news.”

Efforts to regenerate Bedlington town centre have been ongoing for nine years and hit a further setback in February, when Advance Northumberland was forced to take over as contractor after the development’s original contractor Tolent Construction went bust.

£2m of funding for the development came from the UK government’s Getting Building Fund, which is distributed by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and aimed at creating growth after the pandemic.

North East LEP chief executive Helen Golightly said: “This next phase in the regeneration of Bedlington Town Centre will bring more business investment, create jobs for local people, and improve access to services, providing a boost to the local economy.

“The Getting Building Fund has been successful in enabling important infrastructure projects across the region that may have suffered delays because of the coronavirus pandemic to be realised.”