Last week the Ashington and Blyth Area Committee was held out of kilter on Thursday 11th February 2021 In order to
facilitate the special council meeting called to discuss the leaked report into the administration's handling of the suspension of its Chief Executive Officer.
The meeting followed its usual lines of raising issues of importance to local people and reports from officers on progress made in between meetings.
In the time set aside for any other business to be raised, Labour County Councillor Grant Davey of Kitty Brewster ward, reminded the committee that he was retiring from office as a County Councillor at the May elections but that he thought it was very important he brought the issues surrounding the recently released bridge planning application over the A189 to facilitate access to Blyth Bebside station to the attention of the Committee as the application would probably not be brought to committee before that date.
When discussing the bridge design Councillor Davey said: “This new Bridge design is antiquated and not suitable for the 21st century. Its been heralded as the access route for cyclists and pedestrians by the current administration yet doesn't meet the needs required for the disabled or families with pushchairs etc., never mind cyclists.”
Councillor Eileen Cartie joined in the debate to discuss the matter and told the Committee that “as a keen cyclist I was happy to see another cycle route being planned that would benefit people right across Blyth as the new bridge route links in with cycle ways and footpaths from Newsham farm estate and well as Cowpen and Blyth Town but to end in a flight of stairs is very disappointing indeed”.
During the wider debate Councillor Brian Gallacher spoke and told the Committee “I am also concerned about bridges planned for the Wansbeck area and have spoken with network rail as well as the Council about them and that if returned at the election in May I will keep an eye on the the matter as it is of great importance to a large number of people to get these matters right first time, the reopening of the AB&T Northumberland Line is a rail project for the future not the past.”
After the meeting we contacted Councillor Davey who told us: "I believe that an1881 style of footbridge is not what is required in this location, this new bridge should be designed as the safest of access routes for families with pushchairs, pedestrians, the disabled and cyclists to the new station at Blyth Bebside".
"It services the population of approximately half of Blyth and is the only way to arrive under your own steam at the station without being exposed to the dangers of the Bebside roundabout."
"The development of this bridge needs to comply fully with the disability acts as enshrined in law as is the the Bridge spanning the East Coast main line in Cramlington commissioned by the last Labour administration at County Hall and not be a cheapskate provision that locks out huge groups of users from easy access to a railway station in 2021."
"We
have bridges in South East Northumberland which do comply and even one designed
in the last century in Blyth over a disused rail line in the Isabella ward
which is more user friendly than the proposed structure".
“At the earliest opportunity I will be speaking with the current Mayor of Blyth, Councillor Warren Taylor on the matter as he has been selected as the Labour candidate for Kitty Brewster ward at the May elections and I know that he will fight tooth and nail to bring the right infrastructure project forward at this location.”
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