Next phase of Whitley Bay promenade improvements announced

The rejuvenation of Whitley Bay's iconic Northern Promenade is set to continue with the next phase of improvements revealed.

The next phase will focus on an area of the promenade north of the Rendezvous Cafe.

It will involve repairing and replacing the original ‘Battenberg-style’ yellow and red flagstones to retain the character of the promenade.

The edging blocks along the seaside will be removed and new railings will be installed to match those previously put in along the stretch and near St Marys Island.

There will also be two new shelters and a pebble seating area.

The unsightly concrete plinths and shelters will be removed and three sets of steps down to the beach refurbished with added handrails.

North Tyneside Council has made a significant investment into refurbishment plans in recent years.

Areas around the Watts Slope, linking to the Spanish City Plaza, and all the way to the Rendezvous Cafe have been upgraded.

The next phase of works will start this Autumn and continue into Spring of next year.

Improvements so far have included new surfaces, railings, lighting, shelters, seating, beach access, toilets, car park resurfacing a new kiosk at Watts Slope and repairs to the popular Rendezvous Café.

A new storage facility was also been created on the promenade for local charity, Beach Access North East (BANE), which provides free beach wheelchair loans to disabled and elderly people.

Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn CBE said: “I am so pleased, and I know many of our residents will be too, that we’re about to carry on the excellent work to transform and bring the seafront promenade up-to-date and really change it for the better.

“We have one of the best coastlines in the country, visited by around two million people every year, and the promenade is a hugely popular place for visitors and families to enjoy a stroll and grab a coffee and take in some sea air to get away from it all.

“The work we’ll be doing along this stretch of the promenade is all about retaining that wonderful heritage and distinctive feel it has with the fantastic Battenburg-style paving stones, which even Beamish Museum were interested in at one stage!

"But we had to turn them down as we wanted to keep them as we know how popular they are.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the work progress over the coming weeks and months and this is yet more to look forward to among all the other exciting things happening along our coastline and around the rest of the borough.”