Latest plans for Blyth Energy Central Institute on site of former Keel Row shopping centre

Families and businesses in Blyth will have the chance to have their say on plans for a higher-level skills facility in the town.

Proposals for the Energy Central Institute (ECI) will be displayed at the town's St Mary's Church on Thursday between 2pm and 6pm. The ECI will be built on the site of the former Keel Row shopping centre, which was controversially shut down amid dwindling footfall and a large number of empty units.

The institute is the second part of the Energy Central Campus, following the completion of the Energy Central Hub this year. The hub has already welcomed its first learners who hope to find employment in south east Northumberland's expanding clean energy sector.

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The new institute is set to cater to higher-level qualifications for the same sector. The consultation events will provide an opportunity for households and employers in the area to provide feedback ahead of the submission of a planning process before the end of the year.

Coun Richard Wearmouth, cabinet member for Business at Northumberland County Council, said: “It’s an exciting time for Blyth, with major improvement works taking place in the town centre, alongside continued investment in the renewable energy sector.

“To maximise the growth of the renewable energy boom it’s vital we have local people with the right skills who can step into these roles. The ECI will be a cutting edge centre and we want to create that excitement around the plans as we move forward.”

The Energy Central Institute will be operated by Energy Central Campus Ltd, a partnership between the Port of Blyth, Northumberland County Council and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, in conjunction with leading business and University partners. Its mission will be to "create the pipeline of talent" required for the expanding clean energy sector, while also "inspiring, training and delivering pathways to employment for the local community".

Coun Guy Renner Thompson, the council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "This is huge for the county.

"It is part of our overall strategy of bringing well-paid jobs into Northumberland, and then training up our local population so kids don't leave schools in Northumberland and then go away down south to get good jobs, because they can get one here.

"For too long, too many people have left the county for work. It is part of our overall industrial strategy and we think it is going very well."