Ashington town centre improvements gather pace
29 May 2025
The £36m transformation of Ashington town centre is gathering pace - with a number of new improvements completed and underway.
Work to improve the rear of Lintonville Terrace, Woodhorn Road and the vacant plot on Portland Park to make it a more welcoming, safe and accessible part of town is well advanced and is due for completion in June.
The works include additional street lighting and signage, road surfacing and paving and a new path and grassed area on the vacant development site.
The vacant plot on Portland Park is currently fenced off to allow the new grass to seed and once this process has been completed it will be open to the public as a new green space.
The site continues to be marketed for longer term development for commercial use alongside the new Portland Park cinema.
The major projects in the town centre continue to develop too. The planning application for the cinema and restaurants at Portland Park was approved over Easter with the project, led by Advance Northumberland, set to begin construction later this year with the confirmation that operator REEL Cinemas are now committed to boosting the leisure offer in the town.
Plans for the redevelopment of Wansbeck Square have also received planning consent. The current demolition work is on track to complete in early July 2025 with the majority of the site’s building materials being safely removed over the next five weeks.
The site is set to include a new community, culture and youth facility and will provide a welcoming and attractive gateway between the town centre and new rail station - with construction works anticipated to start later this year.
Works to improve the Memorial Garden beside Wansbeck Square are now also underway in partnership with the Town Council and are anticipated to be completed in 4- 6 weeks by the end of June 2025. The improvements will enhance and maintain this part of the town centre for Remembrance activities and as a landscaped space next to the high street and rail station.
Both the Wansbeck Square and Cinema projects are benefiting from funding by UK Government (MHCLG), the North East Combined Authority, Northumberland County Council and Advance Northumberland.
Throughout all the regeneration works, teams have ensured that town centre businesses are able to remain open and pedestrian access is not affected. Free parking is widely available and all car parks remain open as usual.
The improvements underway come on the back of continued progress on other major investments in Ashington with the new Northumberland College Net Zero Campus at Wansbeck Business Park now being constructed and the recent reopening of the Northumberland Line, with over 250,000 passengers using the service in the first three months.
With the Northumberland Line now open and proving extremely popular, pedestrian access between the town centre and the rail station continues to be via Kenilworth Road with access improvements for pedestrians completed last year. Two new accessible parking bays are also now open near shops and services in Station Villas Car Park. Access to the car park for Ashington Rail Station continues to be unaffected by the works.
Councillor Richard Wearmouth, Cabinet Member for Business, Growth and Regeneration, said: “It’s fantastic to see delivery on this regeneration programme moving at pace – combined with the opening of the Northumberland Line it has certainly brought an increased buzz to the town.
“There’s a lot of activity taking place in the coming weeks and months as we progress with the work and we appreciate local business and residents’ support while we undertake these next key phases.”
Ashington Central County Councillor Caroline Ball added: “It’s great to see the major work progressing across town.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the improvements across the ward and the enhancements to the memorial garden, Portland park, and Wansbeck Square. It’s an exciting time right now and people across the ward are looking forward to seeing the developments come out of the ground."
John Johnston, Ashington Town Board Chair added: “It's great to see another big step forward with a real difference being made on the ground. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to help develop these exciting plans and for local people’s support while the work is happening”
The Animating Ashington project and Public Realm and Connectivity Project (Improvement works to the rear of Lintonville Road/Woodhorn Road, Portland Park Plot 3, sections of the North Seaton Active Travel Corridor and the Memorial Garden) are funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the North East Combined Authority (NECA) with NECA as the lead authority as part of the Towns and High Streets Innovation Programme.
More information about the Regenerating Ashington Programme can be found at: nland.uk/arp