Eyes & Ears 27.12.24
It's what you've been missing
Flyover funding promise
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has promised regional resources to get Metro trains running as normal again as soon as possible - and then find a permanent solution to the major problems caused by the closure of the crumbling A167 Gateshead Highway flyover.
This follows an urgent meeting with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to discuss both a short-term repair to make the structure safe for trains to pass underneath, and a long-term plan which will see the flyover demolished and a new road layout put in place.
The mayor said: “The permanent solution is not just to demolish the flyover, but to redesign the road network as well. There's no route to delivering all of this without some Government funding and we have agreed to continue this discussion, but we can't afford to wait for that.”
Cathy Massarella, MD of Metro operators Nexus, said: “Gateshead Council engineers are working up plans to strengthen parts of the flyover to enable us to reopen the tunnels. They have told us there is potential for this remedial work to be completed early in the new year. This unfortunately means the service suspension will be in place at least until then.”
Honda on way to Sunderland
Honda is poised to make a significant return to the UK by manufacturing vehicles at Nissan's Sunderland plant.
The Japanese car giants revealed they had signed a memorandum of understanding on a potential business integration, along with smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors. The merger is expected to help the companies compete more effectively in the electric vehicle market.
The Sunday Times reported that Honda, who stopped all car production in the UK three years ago, could make vehicles at Sunderland, which would be a major boost for Britain’s car industry, particularly in the North East
Parks transfer on hold
The transfer of Newcastle’s parks and allotments back into council hands has been put on hold after the Liberal Democrat opposition on the Labour-run council raised concerns about how the authority would find the minimum £1.5 million needed annually to pay for their upkeep.
The charity Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) has been running 33 parks and more than 60 allotments since 2019. However, concerns about the organisation's finances prompted Newcastle City Council to announce last month it would take back control.
The Lib Dems, however, have launched a formal ‘call in’ of the decision and the transfer has now been paused and a debate involving the full council will be held in January.
Ouseburn councillor Mike Cookson said the public had not been properly consulted about the decision and he questioned the finances, with worries the council would not be able to access the kind of grant funding UGN had secured since its inception.
PD Ports up for sale
PD Ports, one of Britain’s biggest ports operators, whose main assets include Teesport and Hartlepool, is up for sale. Owner Brookfield Asset Management is looking to capitalise on the current market conditions. The price tag is around £2 billion.
Law firm expands
Law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed 24 new team members in a range of roles within its Newcastle head office. Executive partner Nick Gholkar said: “This latest round of appointments reflects our clear ambitions for substantial growth, both in terms of turnover and reach, as we work towards a goal of increasing our turnover by over 50% in the next five years, and doubling it in the next decade.”
THE QT VAULTS
This is a much shorter Eyes & Ears than usual. If you have time for some quality reading this holiday period then look no further than this wonderful interview Sam Wonfor conducted with Jill Halfpenny over a couple of pots of peppermint tea in a Tynemouth cafe.
It was first published in The QT in June to coincide with the release of Jill’s book A Life Reimagined, a book which is about as far away from a celebrity memoir as you can get.
Here is just a taste. You can read the full interview by clicking on the button below.
While Jill’s successful TV and stage career punctuates the narrative – you can create a rough timeline based on mentions of the likes of Coronation Street, Eastenders, Strictly, Chicago and Dark Money – these are almost incidental references in the midst of a searingly honest, intimate and utterly human account of grief, dovetailed with a genuine generosity of spirit.
Having moved through some of the darkest times any of us can imagine, Jill wants to share what she has learned, which in its simplest terms offers a warm and comforting assurance that there is a way through the most crippling grief; you can start to feel hopeful about life again; and even on your worst days, there is joy to be found.
Do you know why PD Ports are choosing to sell now?