Dear Councillor,
We, the undersigned, respectfully urge you to take action and save your constituents from a financial black hole, at the same time saving Berwick from considerable harm to its prized skyline.
The total cost of The Maltings development has already risen from £17.7m to £36m, an increase of over 100%, before serious building work has even commenced. NCC’s requested contribution to the project has gone from £2.8m to £7.5m (a 167% increase), and further cost increases would seem inevitable.
Subcontractors have quoted high bids because of the extremely difficult site. The economic case for the spiralling capital costs and daily maintenance spend is becoming increasingly hard to justify, particularly in our challenging financial climate.
The existing, award-winning Maltings building can still be brought back to life with far lower cost, risk, and disruption to businesses in the town. NCC themselves have estimated this at only £11m. Borderlands has rescoped projects in the past where difficulties have arisen. A short delay will still be cheaper than going ahead with the current plan.
You are not being presented with all the information you need to make a proper decision. On 4 November, please:
1. Ask for the deferral of the £2.6m loan decision.
2. Ask for the cost of subsidising the Maltings due to the construction delay, and who will pay for it.
3. Ask for details of the estimated £11m refurbishment.
4. Ask NCC officers to negotiate a Maltings refurbishment grant from Borderlands.
We would be grateful if you could spare a few minutes to watch our video:
YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Julian Smart
Berwick Heritage residents’ group
9 Quay Walls, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HB | dr.julian.smart@gmail.com
This letter is endorsed by 179 local residents and frequent visitors to Berwick, as listed below.
Jennifer Albone, Essex (visitor) Rachel Armstrong, Yetholm Jonathan Bain, Berwick-upon-Tweed Shirley A. Barraclough, Berwick-upon-Tweed David Bennett, Adderstone, Belford Janet Bennett, Adderstone, Belford Caroline Bickerton, Cornhill-on-Tweed Malcolm Erik Bogaert, Lowick, Berwick-upon-Tweed Rachel Boneham, Nottingham (visitor) Vicki Brabben, Foulden Geraldine Brady, Berwick-upon-Tweed Hubert Brady, Berwick-upon-Tweed Niamh Brady, Berwick-upon-Tweed Chris Brown, Morpeth Sharon Brown, Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed Jo Batey, Berwick-upon-Tweed Ray Batey, Berwick-upon-Tweed Fiona Bowie, Berwick-upon-Tweed Colin Briley, Berwick-upon-Tweed Mark Britten, Berwick-upon-Tweed Melanie C., Tyne and Wear (visitor) Pete C., Tyne and Wear (visitor) Andrea Cameron, Berwick-upon-Tweed Liz Cameron, Norham Pam Campion, Berwick-upon-Tweed Carole Carrick, Whitsome Laws, Scottish Borders (visitor) Clive Carrick, Whitsome Laws, Scottish Borders (visitor) Diane Chalmers, Berwick-upon-Tweed Michael Chalmers, Berwick-upon-Tweed Maria Chester, Edington Mill (visitor) C. Cockburn, Berwick-upon-Tweed J. Cockburn, Berwick-upon-Tweed Eileen Convey, Berwick-upon-Tweed John Convey, Berwick-upon-Tweed Nicola Coulter, Berwick-upon-Tweed Peter Coulter, Berwick-upon-Tweed Ralph Cromarty, Berwick-upon-Tweed Rosalind Cromarty, Berwick-upon-Tweed Lucy Crowden, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Malcolm Davis-White, Bowsden Priscilla Day, Berwick-upon-Tweed Lorraine Dennis, Berwick-upon-Tweed Paul Dewson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Ann Duff, Berwick-upon-Tweed Anna Edgar, Berwick-upon-Tweed Carol Edward, Berwick-upon-Tweed Neil Elders, Alnwick Carol Elliott, Morpeth Jo Elvery, Coldingham Kathy Estibeiro, Duns Catherine Feeny, Berwick-upon-Tweed Graham Ferguson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Stuart Forster, Durham (visitor) Simon Foxton, Berwick-upon-Tweed Paul Garforth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Alan Gibson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Louise Gibson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Sandra Gillies, Haggerston, Berwick-upon-Tweed James Graham, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Harry Grundy, Norham Huw Gwynn-Jones, Berwick-upon-Tweed Nicki Gwynn-Jones, Berwick-upon-Tweed Val Hamilton, Edinburgh (visitor) Matthew Hampshire, Berwick-upon-Tweed Jack Handscombe, Berwick-upon-Tweed Margaret Elizabeth Harker, Wooler John Haswell, Berwick-upon-Tweed Amanda Henderson, Fort William (visitor) Brian Henderson, Edinburgh (visitor) Maggie Henderson, Edinburgh (visitor) Amanda Hepworth, Berwick-upon-Tweed David Herriott, Berwick-on-Tweed Janet Hodge, Coldstream (visitor) Kirsty Holding, Berwick-upon-Tweed Martyn Holding, Berwick-upon-Tweed John Holmes, Allerdean, Berwick-upon-Tweed Michael Holmes, Hexham Liz Holmes, Allerdean, Berwick-upon-Tweed Jane C. Howell, Berwick-upon-Tweed Kathleen Howie, Berwick-upon-Tweed Josephine Hunter, Berwick-upon-Tweed Josie Hunter, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Jonathan Hutchinson, Cheswick, Berwick-upon-Tweed Dennis Hush, Berwick-upon-Tweed Ros Johnson, Hexham Stella Johnson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Sakina Jones, Berwick-upon-Tweed Maureen Lazzari, Berwick-upon-Tweed Angela Kay, Berwick-upon-Tweed Melanie Kay, Oxford (visitor) Margaret Kerry, Burwell, Cambridge (visitor) Judith King, Berwick-upon-Tweed Joanne Kirsopp, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (visitor) Janice L’Argent, Norham Valerie C. Lewis, Gullane, East Lothian Paula Lightfoot, East Allerdean, Berwick-upon-Tweed Judith Lustigman, Edgware, London (visitor) Janet Male, Kirknewton, Wooler Jan Marshall, Berwick-upon-Tweed John Marshall, Berwick-upon-Tweed Ernie Mather, Berwick-upon-Tweed Holly Rose Mather, Berwick-upon-Tweed Lisa Mather, Berwick-upon-Tweed Oswald Mather, Berwick-upon-Tweed Stephen Mather, Berwick-upon-Tweed Maureen McCreath, Berwick-upon-Tweed Gaynor McKinnon, Berwick-upon-Tweed Beverley Meins, Berwick-upon-Tweed Virginia Mills, Berwick-upon-Tweed Pauline Mitchell, Musselburgh (former resident) Janine Monaghan, Lowick, Berwick-upon-Tweed John Monaghan, Lowick, Berwick-upon-Tweed Lorna Moore, Wooler Zoë Munroe, Cornhill-on-Tweed Penny Day Newbitt, Kelso (visitor) Graham Nisbet, Foulden John Nowak, Foulden, Berwick-upon-Tweed Mike Oliver, Wooler Susan Oliver, Wooler Caroline Page, Berwick-upon-Tweed L. Paisley, Morpeth Clare Parsons, Edinburgh (visitor) Laurence Pearson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Pamela Pickford, Hastings, East Sussex (ex-resident) Roland Puddifoot, Berwick-upon-Tweed Eileen Purvis, Berwick-upon-Tweed Jacqui Purvis, Whitley Bay (born and raised in Berwick) John Rae, Beal Sally Rae, Beal Kathleen Ramm, East Boldon, Tyne and Wear (visitor) Clare Raybould, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed John Reay, Scarborough (ex-resident, visitor) Katy Reay, Whitley Bay (ex-resident, visitor) Peter Reay MRICS RIBA, London (visitor) Harry Richardson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Pam Richardson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Sarah Rosie, Berwick-upon-Tweed Judith Rowan, Edinburgh (visitor) Barbara Rumley, Fakenham, Norfolk (visitor) Kate Russell, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (former Maltings board member) Mary Ryan, Norham Yvonne Scott, Berwick-upon-Tweed Mel Shaw, Berwick-upon-Tweed Harriet Smart, Berwick-upon-Tweed Julian Smart, Berwick-upon-Tweed Andrew Smith, Berwick-upon-Tweed Corrine Sood, Sheffield and Berwick-upon-Tweed Jean Standing, Berwick-upon-Tweed Trevor Standing, Berwick-upon-Tweed Caroline Sutherland, Lowick, Berwick-upon-Tweed Gordon Sutherland, Thornton, Berwick-upon-Tweed Hilary Sutherland, Thornton, Berwick-upon-Tweed Edwin Sutherland-Loveday, Berwick-upon-Tweed Anthony Tanton, Berwick-upon-Tweed Andrew Tattersall, Berwick-upon-Tweed Kathryn Tattersall, Berwick-upon-Tweed Caroline Tempest, Berwick-upon-Tweed Peter Thomas, Berwick-upon-Tweed Gary Timms, Newcastle upon Tyne Dr Elizabeth Towner, Norham Dr John Towner, Norham Julian Tufnail, Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed Hugh Veitch, Reston Maura Veitch, Reston Helena Wainwright, Foulden, Berwick-upon-Tweed Colin Wakeling, Berwick-upon-Tweed James Walker, Berwick-upon-Tweed Patricia Purcell Walker, Berwick-upon-Tweed Caroline Waterer, Reading (ex-resident) Christian Wharton, Berwick-upon-Tweed Tim Wheeler, Berwick-upon-Tweed John White, Reston Liza White, Berwick-upon-Tweed Lucy White, Reston Wilson, Duns Jenny Wilson, Berwick-upon-Tweed John A. Wilson, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Louise Wilson, Berwick-upon-Tweed Pat Young, Berwick-upon-Tweed