More development in Manchester Street?

Rumour has it that up-market pizza chain “Pizza Express” has made an offer for the Boys’ Brigade Hall in Manchester Street.

I gather that an earlier offer from J D Wetherspoon to turn it into a chain pub was refused point blank because of the building’s history within the temperance movement.

Now I enjoy a good pizza as much as most (as though who know me will agree) – but in my view we have enough pizza outlets in Morpeth - and some very good ones too. And they have the added advantage that they are locally owned, so money spent there stays in the local economy. Money spent at a Pizza Express (or any other chain) would mostly go out of the area – on national or regional procurement, on national office admin and on profits to shareholders.

We don’t appreciate how lucky we are with Morpeth’s wealth of locally owned shops and businesses (though ‘wealth’ might not be the right word in some cases) – they make Morpeth special, keep our local economy going – and we should support them.