£4m boost keeps Berwick Maltings on track
Northumberland County Council has approved an additional £4.04m cashflow facility to maintain progress on the £28.34m redevelopment of Maltings Theatre in Berwick-upon-Tweed project, a flagship cultural infrastructure project under the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
The council funding will be reimbursed once the scheme’s business case is approved, unlocking £25m in Borderlands capital investment.
Although the core funding package is already agreed in principle, the temporary allocation is intended to bridge short-term cashflow requirements and ensure the project’s delivery timetable remains on track.
The Maltings regeneration represents a major cultural construction and refurbishment programme, delivering a redeveloped theatre, two full-time cinema screens, a new rehearsal facility, and an expanded café and bar.
The project aims to create a modern, flexible venue capable of supporting year-round cultural programming and increased visitor capacity.
Funding will be drawn from the council’s 2024/25 capital programme, reallocated from projects where expenditure is not expected this financial year.
This includes £1.9m originally set aside for Ashington Town Centre infrastructure works, a move which prompted some councillors to raise concerns about potential delays to other local schemes.
While the main Maltings site undergoes redevelopment, operations have been temporarily relocated to the Berwick Barracks complex, where refurbishment and enabling works are under way to adapt existing heritage buildings for cultural use.
The Mob Store has already been upgraded and is functioning as a temporary cinema, while the Gymnasium Gallery, used by The Maltings Trust during the summer months, is receiving thermal and environmental improvements to support year-round use.
Following completion of the main Maltings redevelopment, the Mob Store will be repurposed as the new permanent base for the Northumberland Archives.
Council officers said the interim financing ensures that design and construction activity can continue uninterrupted, contributing to the wider regeneration of Berwick and north Northumberland.
