However, chamber of commerce boss Nathan Errington said the business district was fighting back with a plan to see Beaumont Street reclaim its reputation as Newcastle’s most cosmopolitan eat street. 

A Newcastle City Council grant to refurbish James Street Plaza has been welcomed as a first step. 

“There has been a design concept plan announced … and hopefully that will go across to the whole of Hamilton and will spruce it up and make it look great again,” Mr Errington said. 

The chamber, with a membership of 70 businesses, will contribute to plans for James Street Plaza and is also working on a domain plan for the whole of Beaumont Street. 

“To redesign the streetscape and try to get some money to further that,” Mr Errington said was the intention of the domain plan. 

“We are always looking for ways to improve Hamilton and make sure the visitor economy comes into Hamilton.”

Some of the ideas put forward include a music theatre in the plaza and kids playground. The chamber said it has a “cosmopolitan” vision for Beaumont Street. 

“We have a great rich heritage of the Greeks, Italians and Macedonians,” he said. “ We want to spruce up the street, make it look great, work with our friends at council and the State Government.

“It’s a long process and we are not giving up until we see Hamilton the way it should be.” 

Mr Errington said the cutting of the rail had led to some “anti-social behaviour”. However, this had improved since the opening of the transport interchange at Wickham.

“We have learnt from New York that once you activate an area a lot of anti-social behaviour goes,” Mr Errington said. 

Mr Errington expects to hear crime statistics are down in Hamilton when the business community next meet with police. 

More recently, the impact of the loss of buses travelling down Beaumont Street has been felt. The chamber has been lobbying the State Government to see buses return to the street.  

“We will continue to fight for that until we get a result for Hamilton,” Mr Errington said. 

The chamber had data showing a 10-15 per cent downturn since the buses stopped, Mr Errington said.