First plans for £394.5m Northumberland growth deal unveiled

Initial plans for a multi-million pound investment which will provide an economic boost to Northumberland have been unveiled.

The Heads of Terms have now been officially announced on the £394.5m Borderlands Inclusive Growth deal from the UK and Scottish Governments.

The project aims to boost the local economy through the allocation of funding to rural market and coastal towns throughout Northumberland, as well as focusing on business growth, tourism, energy and digital capabilities.

A new business infrastructure programme will see the council partner with North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Advance Northumberland to identify sites and premises in the county that will provide economic opportunities.

Tourism schemes include the transformation of Alnwick Garden’s planned play village ‘Lillidorei’ into a year-round attraction, activities at Hadrian’s Wall and creating designated walking and cycling routes, as well as investment into the construction of a new a new theatre and event space for the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The deal will also see the development of a business case for investment in digital and mobile infrastructure across Northumberland, as well as an ‘energy master plan’ with £31m to be invested in green energy projects.

Peter Jackson, leader of Northumberland County Council, commented: “This is the latest milestone in a long journey, and fantastic news for the county, after we’ve been working with the UK and Scottish Government over many months to get to this point.

“Although we don’t have the final confirmed levels of funding yet, by being referenced in the Heads of Terms these major investments are very much on the horizon and we will now work tirelessly to bring them all to fruition.”