Blyth hits high note with new bandstand

Posted by Simon Honeysett on Aug 16, 08 03:44 PM in News

Karen and Kirsty Pentleton at the new bandstand A KEY gateway to Blyth has been given a boost following the completion of a £1.5m investment in two seaside buildings.

An 80-year-old bandstand on the coastal town's beach was reopened yesterday after a £500,000 refurbishment aimed at restoring it to its former glory.

At the same time, a new £1m lifeguard station was also opened as part of a major redevelopment of the town's southern links.

Blyth Valley Mayor, Gordon Knox, officially opened the two landmark buildings, with a jazz band playing on the restored bandstand to mark the occasion.

The projects form part of a wider masterplan to enhance the important southern gateway to the seaside town, which has been spearheaded by regeneration agency SENNTRi and will have seen more than £4m invested by next spring.

Work already carried out includes the creation of a plaza, performance amphitheatre, adventure play area and additional car and coach parking. The next phase involves promenade improvements and the building of beach chalets.

The new amenity building will house the town's lifeguard service and facilities for other water users. It includes a new lookout post, meeting rooms, a first aid room, changing facilities, space for a cafe or shop, toilets and external showers heated by solar panel tubes.

The iconic, domed bandstand has been a distinctive silhouette on the southern links since the 1920s. Over the years it was a popular backdrop for wedding photographs and fashion shoots, but the structure and surrounding area had fallen into disrepair.

Now it has been refurbished and, along with the nearby lifeguard building, will be illuminated at night. A landform, grassed area for spectators has also been created around it.

Yesterday Coun Grant Davey, Blyth Valley Council's regeneration portfolio holder, said: "These buildings and the surrounding land are already creating a big impact.

"The links area is one of the prime entrances to the town and first impressions are crucial to create investor confidence for the private sector in delivering the vision for Blyth ."

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