Rural communities are “crying out” for investment while millions of pounds have been pumped into South East Northumberland, it has been claimed.

Figures from Northumberland County Council’s development business arm, Arch, reveal £120m has been spent on development schemes.

Commercial and residential properties valued at £101m - equivalent to 84% - were given the green light in the South East of the county.

Blyth received the majority of the cash at £49.9m, while Bedlington was given £10m and Ashington got £5.2m.

However, developments totalling just £18.9m are going ahead in other areas of the county and in Jesmond in Newcastle.

Now, councillors are calling on Arch to help rejuvenate more remote, northern areas which they say have been “neglected”.

Councillor Peter Jackson, the leader of the Conservative group, said: “It is clear there is a bias from Arch towards the South East.

“There has been lots of money put into places like Ashington or Blyth when others are suffering and crying out for help.

“In Berwick, the average wage is one of the lowest in the whole of the country and I said right from the start Arch needs to invest in all the county.”

Development company Arch was created to build new facilities across the county and make money for its council owners.

Starting in 2012, it has supported the creation of around 500 jobs and brought more than £90m of private sector investment into the county.

Arch’s website states it is a new kind of development business that promotes economic growth in Northumberland.

Story first appeared in the Journal in an article by Michael Muncaster on 6th February 2017.