No easy solution to Berwick’s problems, warns consultant
John Lord, Arch project director
THE project director charged with creating a regeneration and development plan for Berwick has warned that there is no quick fix to the problems in the town.
Around £30 million will need to be secured to implement the three-year plan, which includes regeneration of the Kwik Save site and development of the Quayside.
But John Lord, consultant with Arch, Northumberland County Council’s arms-length development company, has warned that the plan will not be easy to deliver, nor an answer to everything.
A business model will need to be established to raise much of the capital, while other grant funding will also need to be secured.
Speaking to Berwick Civic Society last week, Mr Lord said: “There are severe challenges facing towns of this size and type all over the country. Berwick’s not the worst, but it’s one of the more acute places I have come across.”
He explained that historically the town had been declining for two centuries. “The population here has declined over the last 200 years, while the population of England has increased six-fold,” Mr Lord said. “Berwick has been a backwater economically for a very long time. It’s still intact, but it’s a bit battered.”
He said that the decline had intensified over the last two-to-three decades, as Berwick had lost its purpose. “There used to be manufacturing, but what’s it for now?” he asked. “There are some fundamental issues here and there is no quick fix.”
The decline of Marygate is typical of most high streets across the country, and Mr Lord believes the key to rejuvenating it lies in identifying a new use.
“I’ve been following the parking debate with interest,” he said. “Anybody who thinks parking is killing retail in Berwick is barking mad! It’s places like Asda and Tesco that are doing that. What happens on the high street needs to be different to what used to happen. There’s no need for a green grocers there now for example, as that business has moved to the supermarkets.”
He said that although there were some positives in the town, like the significant Simpson’s Malt, The Granary and the Workspace, as well as a rich cultural and artistic scene, Berwick was stuck in a circle of a lack of economic opportunity leading to a deterrent to invest in the town.
“It’s tough for all small towns, especially in the north east, but some have better prospects than others,” Mr Lord said. “Berwick is a mixed bag. It’s weak in terms of production, but strong in that it is a very special place. We need to enrich and protect the quality of the place. It’s the most valuable asset here.”
It was essential, he said, particularly in these times of public cuts, to grow a high value economy in order to look after the heritage, and avoid a “race to the bottom”.
He said the Arch plan struck the “right balance” between caring for the place and making it a more prosperous community, but added that any tangible output would take two to three years to mature.
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Weather for Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
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Temperature: 6 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Temperature: 6 C to 17 C
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