Any news on this? Noticed that Ian Levy has mentioned on his Facebook they have plans to regenerate both the bus station and depot site. First I've heard of anything on it but know there was rumours with a merger with Jesmond years ago which is for sale atm.

There has been rumours of this for years, with Cramlington being mentioned as a site for a new depot merging Blyth & Jesmond into one. Jesmond depot site has been for sale for several years and is one of many throughout the business up for sale, others including Wakefield & Castleford.

This has been doing the rounds for donkeys years. It won't happen especially considering the financial hole the government will be in due to the CV.

No one wants to invest in Blyth town centre anyway, its a shit tip full of smack heads, that's why Cramlington gets virtually all of its shopping trade nowadays.

(18 Jun 2020, 11:21 am)tyresmoke wrote There has been rumours of this for years, with Cramlington being mentioned as a site for a new depot merging Blyth & Jesmond into one. Jesmond depot site has been for sale for several years and is one of many throughout the business up for sale, others including Wakefield & Castleford.

Yeah I knew about that, Sandy Lane was mooted at one point if I'm right? Just seems more concrete these plans for once.

(18 Jun 2020, 11:24 am)Driver9*** wrote This has been doing the rounds for donkeys years. It won't happen especially considering the financial hole the government will be in due to the CV.

No one wants to invest in Blyth town centre anyway, its a shit tip full of smack heads, that's why Cramlington gets virtually all of its shopping trade nowadays.

I'm really not sure about this, Blyth is a prime spot for investment for political reasons atm. New Tory seat, they won't want to lose it next time round hence the railway line and Blyth investment have suddenly come into the spotlight. No comment on Blyth itself won't disagree there.

It's easy to spin it in a, 'we're helping the working class to gain jobs after the economy crash caused by covid-19,' at the same time. Win win.

Whether it'll end up like Ashington where they buy the bus depot and nothing happens after that that's another thing but can see this going ahead tbh.

Well before CV I'm sure it would have been a high priority for the reasons you mentioned but I think its out of the window now, and if this long awaited rail link actually gets off the ground (been talked about since the 90s!) that would only further reduce the need for a bus depot in Blyth at all. If anything, I could see the land it sits on being sold off and services split between Ashington and Jesmond/new T&W based depot.....

The rail link probably won't cause as much change as you think on the Blyth network. Only places I can see that would switch from bus to train are those in Bebside and Newsham, the former especially.

Cramlington/Morpeth have an existing similar rail service and the locations of the stations are a major factor in people choosing the bus.

When Arriva replaced Ashington Depot a few years back, they should've either built a new depot in either Bedlington or Cambois then merged both Blyth & Ashington into 1x depot with the Alnwick & Berwick routes run from an outstation in Alnwick.

I think Cramlington would be a good middle ground for a new depot. Sandy Lane would have too much dead mileage for the Blyth routes but Jesmond do have a few outbound route starting points nearby Cramlington including Cramlington itself that would make it ideal.

Latest rumour is a new super depot at Hartford near where the big fire/police depot is located to be completed around 2022/3. Jesmond, Blyth and even Ashington to be sold off, apparently Ashington site is where new train station and large parking area will be for the new rail link. Of course I'll believe all that when I finally see it!

These rumours always send me into fits of laughter.

Tbf West Hartford would probably be a better position for the majority of Jesmond's routes in terms of dead milage anyway.

43 - Closer
44 - Closer
45 - Closer
46 - Slighter Further (Time the same)
51 - Slightly Closer
52 - Closer
53 - Closer
54 - Slightly Further
55 - Further (Timewise is neglible)
306 - Slightly Further
685 - Further

and it's not exactly far from Blyth to Cramlington for Blyth buses, could easily terminate some of the later buses at Cramlington rather than running through to Blyth.

Before someone goes, 'omg ur so stupid jesmond is so closer to haymarket how can u say cramlington is closer.' Think about where people are travelling from -> to in the morning and the same in the evening, the opposite direction carries fresh air.

Sorry to bring this up again, noticed that Blyth has now got the funding that asked for under the FHSF and part of it is building on the depot - https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...d-19514601, mentioned here.

https://www.ianlevy.org.uk/news/future-h...oney-blyth - Assuming it's where the hotel is going mentioned here but there still isn't any plans to move it (or not that I've seen anyway). It's starting from April 2021 though so not long.

To be honest, Arriva would've been better at the time merging both the Ashington & Blyth depots with a new depot either in Bedlington or Cambois.

I assume the Chronicle means bus station instead of depot? Unless it's going to be similar to what happened in Ashington?

(27 Dec 2020, 3:38 am)omnicity4659 wrote I assume the Chronicle means bus station instead of depot? Unless it's going to be similar to what happened in Ashington?

I believe it's going to be the whole lot. It's part of the better links to the Quayside and green spaces and hotel etc. I know its definitely been mentioned by Ian Levy before. There's not enough space on the bus station for all that.

Edit: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Busine...jects.aspx

The Energy Central is planned on the depot.