Newbiggin by the Sea Past and Future
The situation
-in Newbiggin by the Sea (NbtS) is unique because the economic and social decline evidenced in other seaside communities was compounded by the impact on the environment from underground coal extraction. Sea bed and land subsidence resulted in coastal erosion. Colliery waste was deposited in the Sea to the North and washed up along our shoreline and untreated domestic waste from other settlements was deposited in our bay which became a sewer. In high winds, dry fuel ash from the Alcan Power Station was deposited on the housing stock. The reputation of Newbiggin by the Sea was at its Nadir, crime was an issue and the population declined as people moved away.
In 1990 Northumbrian Water built a waste treatment plant, the waste was diverted and now we have clean water in the bay. In 1990 Newbiggin by the Sea became a ‘smokeless zone’. When mining ceased the colliery waste problem stopped. In 2007 the beach was replaced.
Action Taken
-we now have a replacement beach and clean water. Dolphins seals, porpoises and sometimes whales are in evidence. The community has a Dolphin Watch Organisation with over 1000 members.
Some 300 hard to let houses were demolished and the local Housing Association has built new homes in landscaped areas. Developers are now considering building sites. The level of crime is now very low. The community has a recorded history from the Saxon times and exceptional natural assets.
Now, at last with a new beach, blue flag seawater and community-driven projects the future is brighter as people from across the country and abroad are beginning to settle here. We now need an identified infrastructure to make our fragile economy a vibrant economy.
Our Ambition
-there is now an ambition to make Newbiggin by the Sea the Leisure Vessel Capital of the North East. This would deliver a national asset and transform the fortunes of the community by offering a facility that will serve future generations as Artificial Intelligence and other technologies and new lifestyles evolve.
Newbiggin by the Sea Past and Future. Our Vision
-the community of Newbiggin by the Sea has exported many exceptionally talented people who exploit their skills elsewhere. The vision is to create a society that can accommodate them.
The potential for Newbiggin by the Sea to be a very prosperous and desirable location is immense.
Author. James Alan Thompson
