Green light expected for cinema and retail plans

LEADING councillors in Northumberland are expected to approve the final business case for a major regeneration project in Ashington next week.

- JAMES ROBINSON Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

The move is said to be the “final hurdle” to be crossed before construction of a new cinema and restaurant complex at Portland Park begins in early 2026.

Cabinet members will consider the case for the £36m scheme at a meeting on Wednesday. The development will feature a five-screen cinema, a “competitive socialising space” and two restaurants.

According to Land Agents Savills, examples of competitive socialising spaces includes the likes of bowling alleys, urban mini-golf and breakout rooms.

The site has been left vacant for around a decade. Plans for a new HQ for the county council were proposed by the then-Labour administration, but these were scrapped when the Tories came to power in 2017.

Since then, the site has been left unused after being cleared for development in 2016, leading to the local nickname “the Ashington hole”.

Labour's Coun Caroline Ball, who represents the Ashington Central ward on the county council, has long called for action to “fill the hole”.