'Anger' over theatre and hospital building delays

There is increasing frustration over delays to a town's multimillion-pound redevelopment projects including a theatre and hospital, councillors have said.

A new high school for Berwick in Nothumberland has also been in the pipeline for several years and there are worries the project has gone millions of pounds over budget.

Labour MP for north Northumberland David Smith, said there was "palpable anger" among teachers and parents about the "lack of progress".

Northumberland County Council said the school rebuild was ultimately the responsibility of the Deparment for Education (DfE). The department said it "continued to engage" with the council as its plans progressed.

Money was set aside by Northumberland County Council for the rebuild of the town's only high school Berwick Academy in 2019, but work has not yet started.

The current building has been branded unfit for purpose, with parents and staff reporting leaks, cold classrooms, and substandard facilities.

In recent years, new schools have been built in other Northumberland towns including in Seaton Delaval, Amble, Hexham and Ponteland and work is under way on a new high school in Cramlington.

In February 2025 parents shared images of black mould in the academy's toilets.

Later that year parents were told there would be spades in the ground in 2026 and the school was expected to open in 2028.

Kier construction was appointed in April this year and the council said work would begin before the end of the year.

The council has now confirmed that work will start by spring 2027 at the latest, after the most recent £50.91m plan was approved this month.

However, the council says it is waiting for the Department for Education to confirm whether or not it will pay £13m towards the rebuild before work can begin.

That decision is not due to be made until spring 2027.

Independent councillor for Berwick East, Georgina Hill, said the length of the wait was "unforgiveable".

The DfE said: "We continue to engage with the council as their plans progress, because ensuring excellence for every child everywhere is a key priority in our plan for change including the school estate."

It said it had invested almost £20bn in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034-35, delivering projects at more than 500 schools and expanding the programme with a further 250 schools.

It also said Berwick Academy had been nominated for the current round of the programme and would be considered alongside other eligible schools through the national prioritisation process.

Decisions on additional schools are expected in early 2027.

Addressing delays Guy Renner Thompson, the county council's cabinet member for children's services, said "there was a lot of consultation to be done" around moving to a two-tier education system.

"That took a lot of time. I don't apologise for that. It was the right thing to do," he said.

At a meeting organised by Berwick Academy earlier this month, no representative from the council attended, parents said.

Labour MP for north Northumberland David Smith said: "We're talking about the only high school in the area.

"The nearest high school in England is 30 miles away. It's central to the flourishing of the town in the future."

Thompson said the rebuild was not the responsibility of the council, but the Department for Education.

"We have chosen to step in with some money to rebuild Berwick High School because we believe in the regeneration of Berwick and we believe that the children deserve that brighter future."

Berwick has also been waiting years for a new hospital to replace the town's Victorian-era infirmary.

Planning permission was granted in 2020 and it was originally due to open in 2022 and cost £25m.

But the development has been beset by delays, including the Covid pandemic and archaeological finds, and costs rose to £35m.

In 2025 contractor Merit went into administration and a new firm was appointed.

The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust enlisted Robertson Construction to take over the project in January 2026.

Robertson identified serious issues with the site which will have to be rectified.

It is now estimated the hospital will welcome patients in 2028, six years later than originally planned.

Georgina Hill, said there were a "lot of questions to be asked" about the appointment of Merit, and has called for a public inquiry.

She said: "Was there due diligence being done? Who was doing the quality checking of the construction?"

She said the delay was causing frustrations for patients "when you hear about residents having to travel 50 miles to get bloods taken, it's ridiculous".

Damon Kent, Northumbria Healthcare facilities managing director, said: "We know that everyone is frustrated with the position we are in.

"We are also very disappointed and want to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can to progress our new hospital as quickly as we can."

Northumbria Healthcare is holding a public drop-in session at Berwick Town Hall on 9 December.

Merit's administrators did not wish to comment.

In 2018 the Conservative-led county council announced the £17m redevelopment of the Maltings Theatre.

The council secured additional funding to cover the cost, from both the UK and Scottish governments, through the Borderlands Growth Deal.

The new building should have opened last year, but disagreements over its design meant work stalled, and costs have doubled to £36m.

The Borderlands Partnership has agreed to increase investment to £28.5m on condition the county council increases its contribution to £7.5m.

A decision is due at a full council meeting on 4 November.

In the meantime, the original Maltings building and car park remain cordoned off, with work due to begin in November.

The estimated opening date has been pushed back to 2029, four years behind schedule.

County council Conservative leader Glen Sanderson, said he was confident, once complete, it would be a "hugely popular cultural venue" and boost the economy.

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram and listen to Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds.