Theatre set for revamp after years-long wait

A MAJOR redevelopment of England's most northerly theatre has been approved after years of waiting.

- DANIEL HOLLAND Local democracy reporter

Councillors in Northumberland have approved an overhaul of The Maltings in Berwick to create an enlarged cultural and entertainment complex in the heart of the historic town.

Planning permission was granted by the county council's strategic planning committee on Tuesday evening, after which local authority leader Glen Sanderson hailed the £28.4 million regeneration as a “stunning addition” to Berwick.

However, the revamp of the venue has proved divisive. While the council received 254 messages of support for the application, there were also 162 objections and a petition signed by more than 1,000 people who called for a rethink of the plans.

Dr Julian Smart, who started the petition, told a planning committee hearing in Morpeth that many locals had been left dismayed by the proposals and warned that the Maltings redevelopment could be “Berwick’s Sycamore Gap moment”.