Blyth Valley MP welcomes new regeneration partnership

It will continue the work of three existing local regeneration partnerships to tackle issues such as unemployment, poverty and the legacy of the loss of major industries such as coal mining.

The new partnership was officially launched last week at the Woodhorn Museum and Archives Centre in Ashington in front of an audience of MPs, councillors, voluntary sector groups and community leaders.

Yesterday Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell said: "Sitting listening to the levels of deprivation which still exist in this part of the county, it brought home to me just how much still needs to be done.

"The area has improved massively and many of the structural problems have been tackled, with housing being improved, jobs created and derelict areas brought back into use, but there is still a long way to go.

"In Blyth Valley we still have six areas in the top 10% of the most deprived in the country and in Wansbeck there are a further nine.

"I will be pressing the new unitary council and the Northumberland Strategic Partnership to make sure that the investment we have seen in Blyth Valley over the last 10 years is continued, and the hard work put in by the borough council is maintained and built upon.''