Renaissance #7

Newcastle

13 Newcastle’s regeneration magazine issue seven: summer 2012 Executive editor Siobhán Crozier Head of design Rachael Schofield Freelance editor Sarah Herbert Design Smallfury Design, Katrin Smejkal Head of business development Paul Gussar Advertisement sales Shelley Cook Production assistant Jeri Dumont Office manager Sue Mapara Subscriptions manager Simon Maxwell Managing director Toby Fox Printed by Wyndeham Grange Images Newcastle City Council, Scott Wears, Lee Dobson Photography, Steve Brock Photography, Sandman Signature Hotel Newcastle, Silverlink Holdings, Letts Wheeler Architects, Aura, Downing Developments, Merchant Place Developments, Hammerson, Monument Mall, Aldersgate, Keepmoat Homes, NTWDC, Motcomb Estates, Eldon Square, Wates Living Space, Hanro Group, Toffee Factory, Sleeperz Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group For Newcastle City Council Kit England kit.england@newcastle.gov.uk

05 N ews Movers and shakers, new developments and all the latest from Newcastle

Cover image

Science City

© 3Fox International Limited 2012. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part ­without the written ­permission of 3Fox International Limited is ­strictly ­forbidden.

The ­greatest care has been taken to ensure the ­accuracy of ­information in this ­magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no ­responsibility for ­omissions or errors. The views expressed in this ­magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited or Newcastle City Council.

etail 09 R Newcastle is already the north-east’s premier shopping destination.

Now, with more big names moving in, retail is leading the city out of recession ducation 13 E How BSF has transformed six very different schools roject update 18 P A round up of what’s happening in regeneration, where, and when

Published by 189 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840 Subscriptions and feedback ­www.renaissancenewcastle.com

28 Markets T he city’s vital statistics

ouncil leader 30 C Nick Forbes takes Renaissance on a tour of his beloved Newcastle’s main development sites and opportunities ousing 34 H Innovative funding is ensuring a new future for Scotswood and Byker 38 Finance Regeneration funding is changing – we look at what TIF and ADZ could mean to Newcastle and Gateshead

ustainability 43 S Newcastle is building on the experience gained during its recent bid to become Europe’s top environmental city

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Real-life

Solutions from Research

At Newcastle University we are leading the way in making our research translate into real-life solutions. Strong research links with industrial partners are bringing new technologies and developments directly to the market place with businesses across the globe benefitting from the University’s worldleading expertise and facilities.

Collaboration

Commercialisation

Contact us

One firm to benefit from joining forces with Newcastle University is Red Hat, Inc – the world’s leading provider of open source solutions. The firm has established a new research centre at the University to develop emerging technologies such as grid and cloud computing, virtualisation and middleware technology.

New inventions and technologies are being created all the time at Newcastle University.

Intellectual Property arises as a result of this activity across a wide range of scientific, literary and artistic fields.

• Licensing opportunities • Spin-out companies • Research – be at the very forefront of

Dr Mark Little, Chief Technologist, Middleware, at Red Hat explains: Red Hat sees collaboration with academic institutions as a great way to nurture community relations and long-term research into future technologies.

Find out how we can assist you:

innovation by working with us on research

There are many opportunities for industry and businesses to work in partnership with the University, to further develop this IP for commercial success.

• Consultancy – with nearly 2,000

Because the University is a constant source of innovation, our Business and Technology Managers work with researchers and commercial partners to turn ideas and inventions into viable products and services.

• Knowledge exchange – government

academic staff, we have some of the best people in their fields for advice and expertise schemes designed to help you access Higher Education know how

• Financial support – find out about

funding streams available to help you work with us

Excellence with a Purpose

For more information contact: Dr Douglas Robertson, Director of Research and Enterprise Services, Newcastle University

www.ncl.ac.uk/business

Tel 0191 222 5148

E-mail douglas.robertson@ncl.ac.uk

round-up: What’s new, hot and happening in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Hello sailors

Time for bed Newcastle has seen a sharp increase in the number of hotels being built in this increasingly popular tourist destination, bringing revenue and jobs to the city. In addition to new builds, several hotel chains have revamped their Newcastle and Gateshead properties.

Completed hotels include the 274-bedroom, Jurys Inn Newcastle Hotel, which opened in August 2011 on Newcastle Gateshead Quays.

Sandman Signature Hotel Newcastle (see right, bottom), with 175 bedrooms, opened in September 2011 in the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery offices (see page 32). The Sandman Hotel Group has more than 40 hotels and this is its first outside of Canada.

Euro Hostel Newcastle is an upmarket hostel of 165 beds, aiming to close the gap between backpacker hostel and budget hotel. Its Newcastle hostel has en suite dorms and private rooms for single travellers and groups of up to ten.

The second budget hotel in the expanding Sleeperz chain opened in Westgate Road in February 2012 (pictured above) and has 98 compact and comfortable rooms from £60 a night.

Sleeperz is on the former Parcel Works site, close to Newcastle Central Station.

The 148-room Hotel Indigo Newcastle (see right, top) opens in summer 2012. Part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, it will be located in the former Eagle Star building in Grainger Town’s Fenkle Street in the city centre. The four-star hotel will include conference space and a Marco Pierre White brasserie.

The 202-bedroom Ramada Encore opened in March 2012 in the Baltic Business Quarter, close to Gateshead Quays. This Wyndham-owned hotel will target the business market.

Close House Hotel and Golf, the 31-bedroom

country house, was built in 1779. This privately owned hotel in Heddon on the Wall, set in 162 hectares, increased its bedrooms from 19 to 31 in summer 2011. It has a new golf academy, driving range and revamped golf club house.

The 179-bedroom DoubleTree opened at Newcastle Airport in October 2011 and employs around 125 people.

The 116-room Holiday Inn Newcastle-Jesmond underwent a £5 million refurbishment after fire damage, resulting in conference rooms seating up to 200 delegates and an on-site 80-space car park.

Jessica Roberts of NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau says: “The volume of hotel proposals, recently opened developments, and those under construction demonstrates confidence in the destination from international brands.”

Work has finished on the installation of 12 permanent floating pontoons on the Tyne between the Tyne Bridge and the Millennium Bridge. This new marina for visiting yachts and boats – complete with water and electricity – will open in spring 2012, providing access to the heart of the city.

The combined length of the pontoons will be over 130m, providing moorings for vessels up to 40ft long.

As well as transforming the Quayside, the pontoons and the yachts they attract will add to the atmosphere of the city centre and attract considerable revenue.

With only an hour’s sailing from the mouth of the Tyne into the heart of the city, those at business development group NE1 are confident that yachtsmen on round-Britain trips will add Newcastle to their itinerary.

Adrian Waddell, operations director for Newcastle NE1, said: “We hope the Newcastle City Marina will help restore life and vibrancy to a stretch of the Tyne that has fallen out of fashion with leisure boats, largely through a lack of facilities. We are keen to bring new traffic and life back to the Quayside and into the city centre.”

Bike Hire Scheme A mass procession of bikes snaking over the Millennium Bridge brought Newcastle’s Quayside to a standstill when Newcastle’s cycle rental scheme was launched last year.

The London-style rental scheme, which is a partnership between business development group NE1 and ScratchBikes, allows people to pick up and drop off one of a 150-strong fleet of bikes at hire stations throughout the city.

A new, patented tracking and locking device has also been trialled as part of the scheme.

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round-up continued

Ouseburn Parks’ visitor centre

Sport Central Nestled in the heart of the city, the £30 million Sport Central – a striking addition to Northumbria University – was opened by Brendan Foster in summer 2011.

Designed over three levels, this gleaming building offers some of the best research, fitness, sports development and event provision in the northeast. At its heart is a 3,000-seat arena that hosts international sporting events and is the home of the Newcastle Eagles basketball team. The arena can also be converted into three smaller sports halls.

Students and members of the public also have the use of a 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool, a training hall for sports such as indoor hockey and martial arts and two golf simulators. The centre also has a 12-metre climbing wall, fitness suite, roof-top garden, aerobics studio, a sprint track and a strength and conditioning suite.

Sport Central has already won two Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Renaissance awards.

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Ouseburn Parks’ new visitor centre has been awarded a RIBA North East Award.

The £1.46 million project, designed by Mosedale Gillatt Architects, includes a classroom, offices for council staff and a meeting room, as well as a welcoming exhibition space.

Ouseburn Parks is the collective name for 58 hectares of parkland which lie within a mile of Newcastle city centre.

The curved visitor centre, set within the shaded calm of Jesmond Dene park, is clad in Siberian

larch and also boasts a sedum roof and rainwater collection system. It is one of a collection of contemporary structures by Mosedale Gillatt, built as part of a £6 million Heritage Lottery Parks for People redevelopment.

Henri Murison, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for quality of life, says: “Having such a vibrant visitors centre and cafe at the heart of this project and working with the community, we are working to bring back this much valued park to its former glory.”

Newcastle voted top UK cruise destination

restaurants and galleries. It’s convenient as both a port of embarkation and a port of call, and Newcastle’s charms extend beyond the city to the countryside, with a range of attractions from castles to cathedrals and the very beautiful scenery of the Pennines.”

The port’s cruise business brings in reveneue of more than £44 million to the region and provides about 1,400 jobs in the tourism sector.

Following 20 mystery visits, editors at Cruise Critic website have named the Port of Tyne ‘best port of call’.

Editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown said: “Newcastle stands right up against some of the UK’s marquee ports when it comes to an absolutely delightful city centre — including but not limited to the Quayside — and superb museums,

Science City funding safe The future of Newcastle’s Science City has been secured after the two main partners committed to ongoing investment in September 2011. Following the withdrawal of One North East, the two other funding partners; Newcastle University and Newcastle City Council, carried out a strategic review and will now invest up to £500,000 each year, for the next three years, between them in Newcastle Science Company Ltd. The review also identified a number of future changes for Science City, including plans to develop a sciencebased alliance of research and development businesses, together with public sector and educational partners that will help build a broader city of science.

One Core Strategy

Ensuring that Gateshead and Newcastle continue to grow and remain competitive with other major conurbations is the aim of The Newcastle and Gateshead One Core Strategy. The blueprint, due to be finalised

in June, sets out development plans for the city and acts as the basis for planning decisions, guiding the future development in the city. The strategy envisages high quality large-scale redevelopment in

Bensham, Scotswood, Birtley and Walker, as well as continued development in Newcastle and Gateshead city centres, and new developments in areas such as Team Valley and at Newcastle International Airport.

Developing Consensus event

Schools are top class Children’s services in Newcastle are officially among the best in the country, according to Ofsted. The government inspectors’ annual Children’s Services Assessment published in November 2011 gave the city council an ‘excellent’ rating, the highest possible accolade, pointing to improvements across schools and services as examples of the authority’s excellence.

Sweet success One month before completion in midDecember, 40% of the Toffee Factory’s office space had already been pre-let, with eight companies signed up and many more poised to make the most of the opportunity.

The £6 million regeneration of the historic building is providing 2,323sq m of office space for creative and digital businesses, in the form of 25 new units, an events space, meeting rooms, breakout areas and kitchens.

The site was developed by 1NG on behalf of Newcastle City Council and One North East with funding from the European Union’s EDRF Competitiveness Programme, One

North East and Newcastle City Council.

The Toffee Factory is part of a substantial regeneration project centred on the whole Ouseburn Valley area and will form a hub for the creative and digital businesses already working there.

The development was designed by Xsite architects, a firm which is also based in the Ouseburn Valley.

The first tenant to sign up was digital media firm Ambit Creatives, which specialises in photography, web design and video.

Neil Armstrong of Ambit says: “The Toffee Factory provides the ideal workspace for us, primarily due to the community that will form within the building as well as the facilities that will be provided — it definitely has a buzz.”

What are the particular qualities which make Newcastle so attractive to investors?

That was the question pondered by representatives from the private and public organisations as they gathered in June for a pioneering conference called Developing Consensus.

This private sector initiative aims to review and debate growth in the north-east of England and find out what unique aspects Newcastle and the wider area have to offer.

The group will debate and and collaborate on how best to take the city and region forward together in these difficult economic times.

Galliford Try £347m Gateshead deal Housebuilding and construction group Galliford Try has reached financial close on the £347 million Gateshead regeneration programme, announced in April 2011.

Galliford Try’s consortium with Gateshead Council and housing association Home Group will now form a Local Asset Backed Vehicle (LABV) to build 2,400 homes and associated community facilities, for both private and affordable housing.

Work is expected to start on the first sites later this year and continue over the next 15 years, with the first package of three sites including the development of 318 homes, 55 of which will be for affordable tenures.

All homes will exceed current Homes and Communities Agency space standards.

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Dedicated to

Newcastle Newcastle Racecourse

St James Retail Park

East Pilgrim Street

retail feature

Talk of the Tyne Newcastle is the UK’s sixth largest retail centre and number nine for shopping expenditure. The city is attracting higher end operators and with targeted campaigns, is working to develop the evening economy, with shoppers staying on to eat and drink.

Estates Gazette’s markets editor, Noella Pio Kivlehan, explores

“A very attractive destination for those who like to shop ‘til they drop” Merchant Place Developments’ former Co-op store

Every day thousands of people arrive at Newcastle Central Station. Pulled from miles around, the majority of the non-business travellers are in Newcastle to shop, drink and eat.

Joining the city’s indigenous shoppers – Newcastle has the UK’s sixth largest shopping population of more than 605,000 people – the city has long had the reputation of being a shopping and entertainment magnet.

To ensure that status, the council, along with public private partnership, NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), and various developers and landlords, have worked hard over the last few years to attract more retailers and to improve the overall image of the city’s shopping environment.

And it has worked. Today, Newcastle’s retail offer is at number nine for shopping expenditure in the

UK rankings complied by CACI, the marketing and information company. This is an impressive feat given that just four years ago, in 2008, the city was ranked 14th.

“Shopping is an important reason why many people choose to visit NewcastleGateshead,” says Sarah Stewart, chief executive of NGI. “From international brands to small independent boutiques, the twin cities have a varied and diverse shopping offer, making it a very attractive destination for those people who like to shop ‘til they drop,” she says. Stewart adds that the compact nature of the destination, coupled with the quality of the shopping offer in the twin cities has positioned NewcastleGateshead as the regional shopping capital.

Meanwhile, predictions are that the number

In September 2011, Newcastlebased Merchant Place Developments was granted planning permission to redevelop the art deco, Grade II-listed Co-operative building.

The Newgate Street property will be transformed into a six-storey, 14,000sq m leisure scheme, comprising a 231-bedroom Travelodge hotel and a Co-op supermarket, creating a total of 200 jobs. The scheme, designed by Red Box, is being funded through a Business Premises Renovation Allowance syndicate, which gives investors 50% tax relief.

Work on the project is due to start this summer and the hotel will be fully operational by summer 2013.

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feature retail Monument Mall Bought in 2011 from the St Martin’s Property Group by developer Hammerson, Monument Mall (pictured below) is in the centre of Newcastle and opens on to the prime retailing pitches of Northumberland Street and Blackett Street.

Occupying the four levels of the centre are six retail units and a food gallery. A spokesman for the company told Newcastle’s Evening Chronicle: “The centre offers restructuring potential through a comprehensive reconfiguration of existing units, exploiting the location by opening units to the street, and bringing new retailers into the scheme.” The spokesman said Hammerson would concentrate on developing its offering on Blackett Street and would involve a “fundamental improvement” of the centre. “We are active asset managers and see great potential in this asset.”

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of shoppers visiting the city is set to increase.

Network Rail estimates the number of passengers using rail in Newcastle will leap by 37% by 2019, with hundreds of thousands more people a year arriving into the city at peak times.

To cope with this influx, several new retail schemes are being developed, which are in various stages of planning (see panels). These will add to the attraction of the existing retail and leisure areas – The Gate, Eldon Square shopping centre, Grey Street, Northumberland Street, Grainger Street, Central Arcade and Monument Mall, which all sit with numerous independent shops.

Then there are the markets for which Newcastle is well known. These include the Green Market, to the Farmer’s Market and Grainger Market, the covered market in the city centre, which sells food, clothes and bric-a-brac.

The monthly Farmers’ Market sells cheese, meat, cakes and preserves made within 50 miles of Newcastle. And, on Sundays, a collection of traders set up business selling accessories, gifts and plants on the Quayside.

Complementing these are the independent retailers. “Areas such as High Bridge in Newcastle city centre and Brentwood Avenue in Jesmond deliver a more boutique shopping experience, adding to the broad retail offer for visitors,” says Stewart.

But, the epicentre for retail activity is undoubtedly Eldon Square. The shopping centre, which opened in 1977, underwent a £175 million redevelopment programme, completed in 2008, making it one the country’s largest city centre shopping destinations.

As well as its shopping offer – the centre has more than 150 retailers – Eldon Square also has a full programme of events to entertain and attract the public. Phil Steele, the centre’s general manager, says: “There is a comprehensive calendar of events and promotions each year to mark all key retail dates with the aim of increasing customer ‘dwell time’ and spend within the centre.” He adds: “In addition we are involved in a number of community projects and take advantage of several specific high profile sponsorship opportunities within the region.”

The activities put on within Eldon Square, are indicative of shopper-friendly events happening throughout Newcastle’s retail sector as a whole.

For instance, the June EAT! NewcastleGateshead festival, now in its fifth year, is marketed as a “slapup festival of adventures in food”. Taking place over 10 days in June, the festival, which has a new programme of events at various locations across NewcastleGateshead, is said to have truly put north-east produce on the map.

Other initiatives to bolster retail in the city

retail feature

East Pilgrim Street In February this year, the Reuben Brothers’ property vehicle, Aldersgate Investments, became sole proprietor of the 17-ha East Pilgrim Street site.

According to Estates Gazette, it bought the remaining 50% after its joint venture partner, Canadian asset manager Brookfield, sold its stake to focus on its core business after four years’ involvement.

In 2009 there were plans for an £800 million retail-led, mixed-use regeneration of the site between Pilgrim Street, New Bridge Street and Saville Row, that featured 400,000sq m of development including 70,000sq m of shops, offices and residential.

But, there is ongoing debate about whether retail should progress southwards – a natural extension of Northumberland Street’s retail pitch – or, as the council wants, from east to west.

have been the ‘Alive after Five’ campaign, which promotes late night shopping until 8pm Monday to Friday, and 7pm Saturday, encouraging people to stay on and take advantage of offers in the bars and restaurants too. There is also the launch of a loyalty card for anyone working in Newcastle city centre.

Barry Rowland, chief executive of Newcastle City Council, says: “We have seen the success of the St Andrew’s Way extension to the centrally located Eldon Square shopping centre, and we’ve been working closely with NE1, the business improvement district (BID) company, on the Alive after Five scheme. This has seen the majority of the city core retailers extending their opening hours to 8pm on weekdays, with the council making city centre car parking free during this time to open up the evening economy in the city.”

Rowland says the approach has paid off with an estimated £53.1 million in revenues created in its first six months and an additional 747,627 shoppers at Eldon Square. “Over the next five to 10 years we want to bring new retailers, particularly high end

“Hollister, Apple and All Saints have opened striking stores . . .” ones, into Newcastle for the first time. Hollister, Apple and All Saints have opened striking stores in St Andrew’s Way (pictured on page 09) and I’m pleased to see a good crop of independent retailers are also finding their way to Newcastle,” says Rowland. “Keeping the retail offer in Newcastle fresh is an ongoing challenge, especially in these difficult economic times. We have a dynamic, progressive attitude here and we are not afraid to try new things to ensure we continue the retail success in the city.

“In Newcastle, the high street does not need saving,” adds Rowland. “At the moment there is a trend which is seeing primary retail centres consolidating into areas of highest demand. As far as the north-east is concerned, Newcastle city centre has the biggest and the best offer around.” n 11

Investing to keep Newcastle moving

Nexus is investing ÂŁ385m to modernise the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Flagship projects include station refurbishments, new lifts and escalators at key interchanges, refurbishment of the train fleet and smart ticket travel.

We’re making sure Newcastle is easy to get to and get around for decades to come.

Find out more at nexus.org.uk

education feature

Future perfect

Stocksfield Avenue Primary, Fenham

Over the past decade, a £220 million project has transformed 16 schools across Newcastle. Sarah Herbert looks at six of them, all very different, to see how the Building Schools for the Future project, delivered by the council and Aura, has brought huge benefits to both pupils and staff

A primary school for 480 pupils, Stocksfield had been housed in two buildings, formed from two previous schools, some distance apart on a steeply sloping site. This caused difficulties for teaching and organising ‘whole school’ activities. There weren’t enough classrooms, many were too small, the hall wasn’t big enough and the playing field was inadequate.

Sir Robert McAlpine, employed

by Aura to undertake construction work, demolished both buildings, replacing them with a single school, keeping existing gardens and a mural.

The new two-storey school, completed in 2008, uses the slope of the site, with extensive glazing on the south side maximising sunlight.

Larger and community-based areas are towards the southern, front elevation, with controlled entrances. Classrooms are at the rear ­— to enable betterquality, even light, and proximity to the outdoor facilities — arranged in year-based ‘fingers’. These and the community spaces are joined to a sweeping crescent spine, which houses support accommodation such as toilets, and staff offices.

Outside, access is improved for all, with greater segregation of traffic and pedestrians. Extensive grounds enable a focus on outdoor learning, for science and the arts, as well as for PE.

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feature education Walbottle Campus Technology College This secondary school, for 1,400 students in the outer west of Newcastle, is on a 16-ha site. It used to comprise three buildings, built in the 1950s as a grammar school and two secondary schools, and two pre-fabricated blocks.

The school achieved specialist Technology College status in 1995 but the buildings were in poor condition, while separate blocks meant students and staff to travel 300m between lessons in all weather conditions.

For the 1,700sq m replacement, the buildings were demolished except the recently-built, Sport Lottery-funded cricket pavilion and changing rooms.

Six hectares between the buildings was broken up into small areas of open space, car parking, hard surfacing and

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other informal areas, making better use of the grounds.

Developed by Aura, the new school opened in autumn 2008, with external works being completed in 2010. It uses sustainable materials and achieved an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating, thanks to a biomass boiler and a strategy designed to make the most of natural ventilation.

The design uses a curved ‘spine’ with five wings leading off it, each with a communal area, which acts as an openplan project space. Dedicated social spaces – such as a sixth form cafe inside the building and a sensory garden outside – enable students to come together outside lessons.

In summer 2010, 73% of students received five A*-C grades at GCSE, a marked increase on the target proportion of 57%.

education feature

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Comprehensive, Longbenton The only co-educational Catholic secondary school in Newcastle, with 1,180 pupils, St Mary’s had outgrown its existing premises.

Classrooms were small and inflexible, circulation was poor, there was a lack of social spaces for pupils and departments had become fragmented. Maintenance costs were high and there were a number of mobile classrooms.

The new school was built to the rear of the existing school, which continued to operate during construction.

The school now provides ICT facilities, a sports hall and associated fitness suite and dance studios.

Both visitors and pupils enter via double-height canopies into a cool,

bright, two-storey atrium. From here, an open-plan staircase (pictured right) leads to five teaching and social wings, each with a specific function – fitness suite, sports hall and dance studio, ICT facilities and classrooms, and the main hall and pastoral facilities.

Teaching accommodation is organised in subject suites. Toilets are centrally located to minimise travel distances and the circulation of the building has been designed to be simple and accessible to all.

The school has a biomass boiler fuelled by woodchips and achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’.

In 2011, 97% of students achieved at least five A* to C grades, the third year that the results have been in the high 90s, ranking St Mary’s among the best in the country.

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feature education

Sir Charles Parsons School and Walker Technology College This 5,000sq m new-build is a special school for 137 pupils with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties, aged between 11 and 17. It shares its site with Walker Technology College, community services and a public park.

The old school was not purpose-built for specialist education, with a poor main entrance and no indoor gathering spaces or facilities for extended school services. The new building creates a dynamic form in its neighbourhood, set in parkland with extensive landscaping.

The design had to accommodate 24 teachers and 29 learning assistants, and provide adaptable space for personalised learning. The new school is mainly single storey, with a partial second storey providing the languages area and a double-height space for the multi-purpose hall.

Sharing the site with Walker Technology College allows the two schools to pool resources, such as life skills, sporting facilities and a highly efficient biomass boiler and combined heat and power plant.

In 2007, Sir Charles Parsons Special School and Science College became one of the few schools of its kind to gain science specialist status.

Benfield School Benfield School, a secondary in the heart of Newcastle’s East End, is the city’s only sports college, with its own centre for sporting excellence. This was built before the BSF project and comprises a six-court multi-use sports hall, club/conference room, high performance centre, dance studio, floodlit astroturf, acres of playing fields and a refurbished swimming pool.

Other parts of the school were fragmented, disjointed and unwelcoming, and failed to provide for local community needs. Under the BSF refurbishment existing school buildings 16

were remodelled, with new doors and windows added, cladding replaced, insulation installed and asbestos removed. Internally, the circulation was reworked, with corridors widened.

Disabled pupils now have their own access and toilet facilities.

And in classrooms, high ceilings now have opening lights for good natural ventilation, which reduces energy consumption. Externally, the main entrance plaza now has new feature paving and seating.

Since 2009, the proportion of pupils achieving five GCSEs at A*-C has increased by 7%, from 74% to 81%.

education feature

Gosforth Junior High Academy Built in the 1930s, Gosforth was undersubscribed in 2006 when it came out of special measures. The building created operational problems: a poorly-located main entrance, inadequate staff areas, poor circulation spaces and a lack of internal sports facilities.

As a middle school, with pupils aged from nine to 13, the school is a transition between primary and secondary education. It is important the buildings do not overwhelm younger children, yet prepare the older children for transition to a large high school.

Redevelopment included building general classrooms, a sports hall

and an additionally resourced centre providing purpose-designed facilities for visually impaired pupils. Outside are improved grass playing pitches, landscaped areas, an external dining area with study garden and a paved social hub.

David Sheppard, director of Gosforth Junior High Academy, said: “It can only be a good thing if staff and pupils set off each morning to a place that gladdens the heart, works well and shows thought, imagination and dedication in its making.

“All children should have the right to access quality facilities as much as they should have access to a quality education. We can offer both!” n

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Newcastle city centre detail

2. Science Central

3. Stephenson Quarter

4. Scotswood

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Newcastle wider area

site map

6. Cowgate ▼

1. Byker ▼ City centre ▼ 5. Walker ▲

Project update An in-depth look at the regeneration projects that are shaping Newcastle’s renaissance

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project update 2. Science Central

1. Byker A major overhaul of the iconic Grade II*-listed 1970s Byker estate, housing 4,500 people, is coming on apace, with both the establishment of a community trust and the redevelopment of a listed part of the estate.

Last summer, residents voted 2:1 to transfer council-owned homes on the estate to an independent community trust, to be managed by residents and other key representatives such as Newcastle City Council and Your Homes Newcastle. The trust, which will be nonprofit-making, was due to be in place

by April 2012. Now the trust is agreed, central government will write off the debt linked with Byker to help fund a 30-year improvement programme, focusing on improving safety, energy efficiency, the environment and access.

This will enable £70 million to be invested over the next 30 years, with a peak of £40 million anticipated over the next 10 years, funding comprehensive environmental improvements across the whole estate. These include modernising Byker’s ageing district heating system, returning underused buildings to use and refurbishing the famous ‘Byker Wall’, a continuous block of apartments, with double-glazed windows and a new roof. A further peak towards the second decade would install new kitchens and bathrooms and undertake re-wiring.

Meanwhile, work to bring all homes up to the Decent Home Standard is nearing completion. All will have new kitchens, bathrooms, rewiring and new windows.

One part of the estate’s revamp is now complete, with Wates Living Space having finished the £2 million redevelopment of the listed Bolam Coyne. Designed by Ralph Erskine in the 1970s, this cluster had lain empty since 2000 and fallen into serious disrepair.

The refurbishment has transformed 17 one to four-bedroom homes into 15 two and three-bedroom homes by separating the buildings vertically rather than horizontally, with permission from English Heritage.

Funded by Your Homes Newcastle, the Homes and Communities Agency and English Heritage, the project was designed by Ryder Architecture in partnership with landscape architect, Colour Urban Design Limited.

The redesign overcomes the complicated shared balcony access that had historically caused tenants problems. Each home now has its own front door at ground level, enabling the creation of private gardens and a secure inner courtyard.

Landscape development has restored lost original features in the courtyard such as a small rainwater-fed stream flowing through a shallow toedipping pool. Erskine-designed features from the Byker estate have been used around the new front door areas.

The refurbishment has allowed Bolam Coyne to remain true to Erskine’s original Byker design principles. Your Homes Newcastle chief executive John Lee said: “The refurbishment has captured the imagination and we received lots of applications for the properties.”

The first two phases of development of Science Central are complete, with Downing Developments’ £80 million investment in the Newcastle University Business School, 520-room student residence and refurbishment of the old brewery offices into a hotel. Another cluster of student accommodation completes in August 2012. The site will recieve investment from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). The £6 million bid by Newcastle University on behalf of Newcastle Science City — a partnership between the university and Newcastle City Council — will continue to transform the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery site into the stateof-the-art science park where university scientists will work alongside business to create spin-out firms and attract new investment into the area.

The RGF will help match-fund the £16 million committed by the university and the council to progress the next two stages of infrastructure development.

The site was once home to the North Elswick Colliery and the plan is to remove the remaining coal and compact the backfill to create a permanently stable, non-combustible platform for all future buildings.

University vice-chancellor Professor Chris Brink said: “The Science Gateway Building will provide incubator space for start-up companies as well as inward investment opportunities for firms wanting to co-locate with the university.

It will unlock the site for development by the university of a major new academic building on Science Central, a centre of excellence for our research into sustainability. Our aim is for the site to become home to the headquarters of the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS).”

It is also home to the UK’s deepest city centre geothermal borehole.

21

Building a supportive business environment. “

A new urban quarter in the centre of Newcastle.

A science hub that is an exemplar in sustainability and creates a vibrant new business, educational and residential community.

That is the vision for Newcastle’s ambitious Science Central site.

From the groundbreaking Business Opportunities programme designed to inspire innovation by highlighting market needs, to the hugely popular First Friday networking sessions, Newcastle has developed a whole package of support to accelerate science and technology-based business ideas with high growth potential.

”

The 10.5 hectare site, formerly occupied by the Scottish and Newcastle Brewery, represents the largest city centre development opportunity in over a decade and the city’s leaders are determined to maximise its economic potential.

As a city of science, the attraction and retention of world-class scientific and commercial talent that will fuel the new site is critical and a dynamic business support system has been established to create a unique environment in which science and technology companies can thrive alongside one another.

Its high profile Science of Success business events regularly bring together renowned and potential entrepreneurs, its expertise in accessing European and domestic funding streams helps companies finance their ambitions and its work with Newcastle Business and IP Centre provides workshops, seminars and one-to-one sessions to ensure companies always have access to specialist know-how.

Newcastle Science City’s potent combination of commercial knowledge and unique access to university expertise has made it the first port of call for businesses looking to exploit opportunities and develop ideas.

By building a supportive business environment now, Newcastle is ensuring Science Central becomes the natural home for science and technology companies in the near future.

For information on how Newcastle Science City can help accelerate your business contact Simon Green on 0191 211 3015, email simon.green@newcastlesciencecity.com or visit www.newcastlesciencecity.com

EUROPEAN UNION Investing in Your Future

European Regional Development Fund 2007-13

Newcastle Science City is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, securing £2.3million of ERDF investment.

project update 3. Stephenson Quarter Phase one of the Stephenson Quarter development is about to go on site, with work on the 251-bedroom Crowne Plaza hotel due to start this summer, together with a 321-space multi-storey car park, with 18,500sq m of offices above, called the Stephenson Hub. The public Hawthorne Square will link these two buildings, plus those constructed in later phases, and the Stephenson Works, one of a number of listed industrial buildings on the site, which is currently used as an arts and culture venue.

Formerly the engineering workshops for Robert Stephenson, in its 21st century use as a venue for gigs, exhibitions and workshops, the Stephenson Works has already attracted more than 10,000 visitors.

Phase one is expected to take two years. Phase two started on site in spring 2012, and comprised 6,500sq m office space, a boutique hotel, 3,700sq m of retail space, 150 residential units and two further public spaces.

The £200 million scheme will take about six years to complete in total. The development will transform this highly accessible site next to Central Station.

Stephenson Quarter is of historical and archaeological importance, with a legacy of industrial and commercial uses.

4. Scotswood New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) made headway on plans to develop the 60-ha Scotswood masterplan site when detailed planning approval was granted in January 2012.

NTWDC worked with community representatives, consulting with local groups and stakeholders on ambitious plans for the first phase of development and as a result, there were no objections to this very complex project.

Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency have funded infrastructure works – due to complete this year – which will prepare for the first phase of 378 homes.

The scheme has easy access to the A1 and A69, within 10 minutes’ drive of the city centre. Location is considered to be a key strength which will underpin the marketing of the site.

The plan is to provide mainly family homes – over 60% will be three and four-bedroom houses. Bespoke designs

will meet the needs of a range of household types and incomes and will include apartments and smaller houses.

The design provides green links through to the existing neighbourhood and tiered gardens across the sloping site.

Tees Valley Housing will provide homes for rent and shared ownership.

The 15-year development of the new neighbourhood in five phases will provide 1,800 new homes. A neighbourhood centre will accommodate 280sq m of start-up business space; more than 185sq m of shops as well as a community facility.

Throughout the building project, NTWDC will work with local schools, training and employment providers, along with business support agencies to increase opportunities for local people and firms. NTWDC is a joint public/ private venture partnership between Newcastle City Council and developers Barratt, Keepmoat and Yuill.

23

Places for PeoPle 40 years’ exPerience of working in newcastle

Places for People - driving regeneration, providing new housing for all, supporting training and employment in Newcastle.

• Heavily investing into the regeneration of Walker Riverside, in the east end of Newcastle.

• Putting £2.7m into improving green spaces across the North East, as part of a Big Lottery initiative.

• Tackling worklessness and improving skills supporting 215 people back into employment, 364 into learning and 221 new business start ups*.

• Supporting the £5m Social Investment Bond which has helped establish new businesses, get people back into work and support voluntary and community sector organisations.

• Providing customer focuses housing management services across the North East Region

www.placesforpeople.co.uk

To find out more about how Places for People can support you in consulting with communities, master planning, regeneration, development and tackling worklessness

Call: 0845 606 2842 or e-mail NERenaissance@placesforpeople.co.uk To find out more about our Green Spaces portfolio please visit www.greenspacesforpeople.co.uk * Statistics are for the past 3 years from January 2009

project update 5. Walker Until the 1970s, the Walker area of Newcastle, to the east of the city centre on the banks of the Tyne, was Newcastle’s shipbuilding heart.

Now home to just over 11,500 residents, with a successful belt of industry still running along the river, it has been the focus of a council regeneration programme for a number of years, with the aim of retaining the existing community – the area’s population has declined by 15% in the past 10 years.

One key regeneration project is the Heart of Walker, the new local centre for Walker Riverside. Here, a £7 million, 420-place primary school is due to open in September 2012 and will replace two existing primary schools in the area.

The two-form entry school will be run by the Diocese of Newcastle and cater for children aged three to 11, as well as offering 26 nursery places.

Alongside the new school is the £2.5 million refurbishment of the Lightfoot Centre, adding a synthetic turf pitch and 10 five-a-side pitches outside, with improvements to the

squash courts, changing rooms and reception area, and adding a new cafe and bar.

Plans for the area include a multi-use building, potentially containing medical and library facilities, a supermarket, improvements to roads and open space and housing developments.

In the Walker Riverside area, Places for People, the council’s strategic regeneration partner in Walker, is planning to start phase two of its River’s Gate development in July 2012. This phase, including 39 affordable rent homes, will complement the 68 existing homes on this awardwinning development.

The existing homes consist of a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes in a variety of tenures designed along the Dutch Home Zone principles, which strike a balance between cars, pedestrians, cyclists, businesses and residents, with roads designed to make motorists drive at lower speeds to make the neighbourhood safer.

At Hibernia Village, Bellway Homes has just completed 102 homes. The final phase of Hibernia Village will be marketed to developers in the spring.

25

project update

6. Cowgate Just to the north of Newcastle’s city centre, Cowgate is an area on the up. Often seen as a problem estate, residents have worked closely with the council, police and others agencies to deliver real, sustainable change there.

The long-term vision is already beginning to deliver change, with residents not only being helped to find work but create their own jobs and establish social enterprises.

Alongside this, a range of activities has been developed with residents to increase their ownership of the estate. These include a green gym, health works, a rejuvenated community centre with diverse activities, and an annual ‘Big Lunch’. Two annual residents’ surveys have shown that 26

the community recognises that Cowgate is improving. People feel that it is a popular place to live with a growing local pride.

More importantly, residents see Cowgate as a good place to live with a waiting list of potential inhabitants and standards being raised in all sectors of housing. Private landlords now see the opportunity to invest for a return rather than abandoning properties.

Cowgate still faces challenges but the work of partners across the public and third sector and the community is now receiving national recognition. It was a finalist in the Home Office 2011 Tilley awards and was nominated for the Northumbria Police Excellence award. Successful change has brought positive opportunities, with Cowgate now part of the government’s Neighbourhood-level Community

Budget programme, giving residents an equal voice in determining priorities and how money is spent by all partners in the area.

Improvements to the experience of residents living in Cowgate are being achieved through a partnership approach, which successfully engages the community in actively delivering sustainable change.

Residents and agencies acknowledge that there is still a long way to go, but that, even now, there is tangible evidence that this partnership approach is working.

On Bonfire night, Cowgate resident Scott Wears photographed the two 1.5m lanterns, which were made by residents in collaboration with local artists. The striking tepee lanterns were made by children and paraded around the estate. n

Winn Studios

Student Accommodation Handed over on time and within budget to accommodate the fresh intake of students for the start of the academic year of 2011-2012, the Winn Studios building is a cornerstone of Metnor Property Group’s ambitions to kick-start the regeneration of the Upper Ouseburn Valley.

This £15m turnkey project provides 396 bed spaces, common rooms, laundry and secure cycle storage.

The site has enhanced ecology and biodiversity due to the provision of a ‘Living Wall’ and ‘Green Roofs’. The building achieved a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating and Secure By Design accreditation. Metnor Construction were also awarded Very Good Site status under the Considerate Constructors scheme.

Winn Studios is now fully occupied with Northumbria University students who have expressed a high level of satisfaction with their experience.

Metnor’s Determinati

on

Portland Green Student Village

Sees Development Progress

Building 1A

This eight-storey design will accommodate 275 student bed spaces, forming the next Phase of the student development in Shiedfield. Based around a south-facing Courtyard, it incorporates a safe and secure area of green space.

Ground floor active frontage incorporate a local convenience store and an A3 outlet which will form an exciting streetscape along Stoddart Street. The building works will start in February 2012 with completion in Summer 2013.

As part of the overall Portland Green Masterplan, a further eight buildings are proposed with a mixture of student accommodation, offices, retail units and car parking in future phases, to regenerate the Upper Ouseburn area.

The Sleeperz Hotel Westgate Road

Ideally situated close to the Central Station, Metnor Construction have delivered the new Sleeperz Hotel on Westgate Road in the heart of historic Newcastle. Providing 98 en-suite bedrooms and a separate 860m² retail unit on the ground floor, this six-storey building is strikingly contemporary.

The Hotel was handed over on 20 January 2012. The completed building provides a prominent landmark, adding to the richness of Newcastle’s Cityscape.

Contact: Gerald Hall, Technical Director, Metnor Property Group Ltd 0191 2684000 ghall@metnor.co.uk

feature markets

Vital statistics In 2011 Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art was the first non-Tate venue outside London to host europe’s prestigious art award

the turner Prize

Architecture critic Sir Nikolaus Pevsner described Grey Street as one of the finest streets in England

Newcastle’s economy contributes around

£13 billion

The cruise business provides more than £44 million to the region and sustains about 1,400 jobs in the tourism sector

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T Ne ripA Lo wc dv nd a i Tr on stle sor p D a a fo est vel nd B third lace r E in ler e a d ur at s’ rlin fte op ion Ch in r ea A oic its n N wa e igh rds tli fe

to the UK GVA

Newcastle’s Port of Tyne was voted best ‘port of call’ in the Cruise Critic website’s annual awards

markets feature

Football The biggest ever victory was

13-0

against Newport County in 1946

Highest attendance at St James’ Park was

68,386

Newcastle is the 16th most populous city in the UK

Tyneside is the sixth most populous conurbation in the UK

against Chelsea in 1930

Newcastle was named

Most Sustainable City in the UK

for a second year running in October 2010

by Forum for the Future, thanks to such initiatives as its 600 electric car charging points and its urban bees programme 29

feature council leader

View from the top

Not content just to talk the talk, council leader Nick Forbes recently took Newcastle’s investment message on the road – all the way to China and Malaysia. Forbes invites Renaissance editor Siobhán Crozier on a tour of his city, as he reviews major developments in business and innovation, industry and housing

30

From the roof of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery offices is a perfect view of Newcastle United’s stadium, home to the club since 1892.

To the other side of the chic Sandman Signature Hotel, the view is of the largest city centre opportunity in over a decade: Newcastle Science Central. This development will establish a mixed-use quarter at the heart of the city, with commercial, retail, leisure, educational and residential elements.

“This site is on a huge scale, a unique opportunity to extend the urban core further, to develop the city’s footprint,” says councillor Nick Forbes.

Leader of Newcastle City Council since Labour took power in May 2011, Forbes is determinedly pro-business and innovation. Passionate about opportunities for residents, Forbes is equally engaged

by Newcastle’s potential to forge its reputation as one of Europe’s greenest cities, both in practice and in research and development. “This is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to use our universities, the physical space available to us and the vision and commitment to transform our economy,” he says.

Development of Science Central will strengthen

Newcastle’s position at the heart of the knowledgeled economy: “Newcastle was a powerhouse in the Industrial Revolution — it’s not just a place where things were made, it’s a place where things were invented,” Forbes says. “If we can reconnect research, design, product testing and the manufacture of a whole new generation of products, in line with our vision for a low carbon economy, this site could be part of that transformation of our economy.”

His vision entails building that knowledge-led, mixed economy, ranging from research through to high-end manufacturing of new-generation pharmaceuticals, products linked to an ageing population, scientific research and stem cell research.

“At the former Neptune Yard, we have the potential for off-shore connections as well,” adds Forbes.

Science Central is one of four sites comprising Newcastle and Gateshead’s accelerated development zone (ADZ), for which the two councils hope the government will agree a deal for tax incremental finance (TIF). This would enable public sector investment of up to £150 million in infrastructure across four sites – three in Newcastle and one in Gateshead. “It would mean we are more in control

council leader feature of our long-term finances and our destiny as a city,” says Forbes.

At Science Central, investment is already flowing in. The four-star Sandman Signature Hotel is an imaginative redevelopment of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery’s administrative offices.

The Sandman group (see overleaf ) chose Newcastle as “the north-east’s foremost city with great transportation” for their first hotel outside Canada.

Forbes sees Sandman’s presence in the city as a major boost. “It has been a very bold move to take a heritage building and to transform it into a luxury hotel,” he says. “Sandman’s willingness to come and invest in the city shows a real sense of confidence in Newcastle’s future.”

“We have more than 75% occupancy in hotels, which shows that there are opportunities for this market to expand and that the tourism industry in Newcastle is holding up well, because it’s a great place to come for a city break,” says Forbes. “People come for our theatres, our cinemas, our nightlife, our cultural offer, our shopping – and within half an hour you can be in the Northumberland hills and the coast or in Durham, so it’s a fantastic place to come for a north-east city break.”

Student accommodation provider Central Link has three buildings at Science Central, in a £30 million scheme by Downing Developments, totalling 519 en suite student bedrooms, right next to Newcastle University Business School.

With 47,000 students living in the city attending its two universities — Newcastle and Northumbria – plus Newcastle College, Forbes sees this development as part of the process of developing mixed communities. “We want students to have a great time here,” says Forbes, “and then to be ambassadors for Newcastle in whatever they go on to do.”

While Science Central is already attracting investment, there are further opportunities to complete the development of this vast site and Forbes knows that infrastructure is a vital component of the package, hence the importance of gaining government agreement for the TIF deal.

“Newcastle is such an exciting project as a place to establish new businesses – we can demonstrably grow because we have the space to do so,” he says.

In April, Forbes led a trade delegation to China with UK Trade and Investment, meeting with local authorities and investors in Taiyuan, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. “Many north-east companies want to do business in China but aren’t sure how to get a foothold,” says Forbes. “I wanted to use our twinning relationship with Taiyuan to give businesses a foothold, so they could start trading more effectively in China.”

So what is Forbes’ pitch to the Chinese investor, an avid Newcastle United fan, who doesn’t know too much about his club’s city but is keen to invest there?

“There are going to be new retail opportunities here; there will be new office based opportunities,” says Forbes. “So if people want long-term property investments, there are opportunities:

in the top corner of the site, there are proposals for a sustainable housing development. And in manufacturing of products there’s the space and infrastructure, the transport connections at the city centre, to develop small to medium scale factory units, energy generation, technology research — and all with a great view of Newcastle United!”

Mechanical and electronic engineering are skills that were always in Newcastle’s industrial DNA – and crucial to the city’s future, thinks Forbes.

“That mid-connection of creation and design of invention production is what will make Newcastle a great industrial city again,” he says. While manufacturing is part of the mix, Forbes cites other sectors. “We have a strong financial service sector — we have just had Virgin Money come to relocate their headquarters here.”

“I’d like us to provide a finance offer, so that people who want to come and invest in the city can get a whole service,” says Forbes. “With Gateshead, we’ve set up a business development commission led by Lord [Charlie] Falconer.”

Low carbon energy production is a niche area for which Newcastle will be renowned in the future. “We have electric vehicle manufacturing but huge strides are being made in electric battery manufacturing,” Forbes says. “If we can be the place that cracks electric batteries for medium-sized family cars, that will be a world changing event.”

Science City, development company for the science aspect of the site, secured regional growth funding to develop a gateway building on St James Boulevard. “That’s an opportunity to create highquality office and retail space with hundreds of

“I wanted to use our twinning relationship with Taiyuan to give local businesses a foothold”

31

feature council leader construction jobs,” says Forbes. But the TIF deal is crucial as it would represent up to £150 million across four sites in Newcastle and neighbouring Gateshead. He says: “In the medium-term it positions us to benefit from economic growth as the UK economy recovers. And in the short-term it would create hundreds of construction opportunities to get people back into work, so TIF would be a real key to unlocking major investment in Newcastle.”

Newcastle College is working with employers to match the courses it offers to employers’ needs.

“TIF would be a real key to unlocking major investment in Newcastle” Over at Neptune Energy Park on the Tyne’s north bank, Newcastle College has set up a Marine Technology Training Unit, next to the offshore companies, designing courses around the needs of local businesses. “It’s not all degree level qualifications that are needed and the further education college is able to train people to do the level 2, 3 and 4 type jobs that are necessary for their industry,” he says.

Newcastle’s unemployment headcount is 13,700, a statistic that is uppermost in Forbes’ thoughts; he’s hugely motivated by the knowledge that work is what gives people control over their lives.

“The number of people in Newcastle on jobseekers allowance has risen by 73% since 2007,” he adds. “A quarter of registered jobseekers are under 25 and I don’t want to see a lost generation of young people, because that’s a waste of talent, wasted ability and a wasted opportunity.”

Forbes views a co-ordinated approach to apprenticeships — cutting down on the employer’s administration and establishing an apprenticeship hub — as a necessary step to support employers in reducing these dire statistics of joblessness.

The government has designated Tyneside as one of five Centres for Offshore Renewable Engineering and by the end of 2012, local industrialist Bruce Shepherd envisages that Neptune Park and neighbouring sites on the north bank of the Tyne will be the location for 6-700 jobs.

The massive Bridon Neptune Quay plant is under construction, soon to house the world’s largest wire rope manufacturer, supplying the oil and gas, renewable and mining industries. Structures of up to 700 tonnes can be made on the river. In the Tyne’s deep waters, enormous ships can navigate, bringing loads from the oil fields, when parts of structures are being decommissioned and replaced, with the same 32

fleet then taking the vast new components out to refurbish structures across the oil fields.

Bridon chose Newcastle over the German port of Gelsenkirchen, after securing a grant of £2.2 million from the Regional Growth Fund.

The quayside is leased from the council by Shepherd Offshore, explains Forbes: “We carried out strengthening works on the quaysides to enable all this to happen and we paid for the investment in the large hammerhead crane, so that it can lift heavier drums and reels, which increases the capacity of what the site can do.

“Shepherd Offshore have done a lot to invest in Newcastle and their continued commitment is exemplary,” he says. “Without their drive, without their investment, none of this would be happening.”

Forbes wants to look at progress on a new housing project at Orchard Way in Blakelaw, one of 10 schemes under development by Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), the body which manages homes on behalf of the city council.

“These deck-access flats were built in 1969 and YHN demolished 151 of them in 2011 – the flats had become unpopular and fallen into disrepair,” he says. “Replacing them amid the remaining properties of the original estate are now 98 mixed tenure homes, comprising two, three and four-bedroom houses plus bungalows for older residents.”

Keepmoat Homes will market 57 properties, while 32 are allocated to families for rent by Leazes Homes, YHN’s charitable subsidiary, and nine are for shared ownership.

All these homes have energy-saving appliances and environmental design features that include solar heating panels, condensing boilers, energy-saving lights, double glazing and insulated walls. Cycle storage is provided and rainwater harvesting is built into the design.

“These new homes are what we know people want — houses with gardens in a decent neighbourhood, as well as the environmental enhancements that will make them economical to run,” says Forbes.

Science Central and the Tyne banks are evolving as regenerated locations of manufacturing and technological expertise, as this former industrial powerhouse of a city transforms its fortunes again to provide employment opportunities for its citizens.

Despite the north-east being disproportionately affected by unemployment in this recession, the unrest that swept through the country in August 2011 left Newcastle untouched. Forbes thinks that the Northumbria Police’s tradition of community policing contributes to stability and cohesion.

“We see a lot of police on our streets and they are part of the local community,’” he says.

“But Newcastle is big enough to feel like a ‘proper’ city with all the joys and experiences that come from living in a big city, but it’s also small enough for people not to feel anonymous, detached and alienated.

“There is definitely a powerful sense of pride in Newcastle that runs deep through Geordie DNA.” n

Sandman Signature Hotel

Kevin Gilhooly, general manager “The Sandman Group is Canada’s fastest growing, privately owned hospitality company, which operates 43 hotels. The four-star Sandman Signature Newcastle is our first outside Canada. Various factors brought us to Newcastle: the site is in a great location, it’s a very forward thinking city and one that treasures its history but looks forward. In buying the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery, we had the opportunity to take a part of history and put a modern twist on it.

This is the north-east’s foremost city with great transportation — and even in Canada, we’d heard of Geordie hospitality. Our expansion plans focus on Canada and the UK. The Signature brand is four-star with a different twist, such as microwaves in every room. Half of the suites have kitchens. We offer four-star service but it’s not pretentious or stuffy. If guests prefer to stay in, our porters will even get groceries for an informal meal in their room.

Geordie hospitality is legendary.

We had a large response when recruiting and we met lots of people with warm personalities, who had never worked in hospitality but our customer feedback is great.

We employ almost 200 people and all are local to the Newcastle area. Skills and experience are less important than personality, a desire to please ­­­— characteristics in abundance among Geordies.

When we find that, we can train staff to use systems or policies.

Some business guests come every week, one is on his 30th stay and we’ve only been open a few months.

The corporate guests come back regularly but we even see couples on their fourth or fifth leisure stay.”

Diversification is key for social housing With changes to the social housing landscape and the consequential cuts to funding, partnership working and income generating streams are set to be vital for housing providers in the future.

Challenged to work in a difficult financial climate, Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) has already looked to diversify, developing a range of services which not only generate income but also build communities and enhance the high level of service it offers tenants.

Here Jason Wylie, Head of Business Services at YHN, talks about a key service area that has already diversified to support the organisation, its tenants and to promote sustainability in the region.

“The Furniture Service helps YHN tenants settle into their homes by providing essential items of furniture. The tenants pay for the furniture out of their housing benefit. This has really supported tenants who are suffering from financial strain and offers them a simple and sensible answer. The service has had a positive impact on the well-being of tenants and local communities because tenants feel happier in their homes.”

For more information about the service please email andrew.waters@yhn.org.uk or call 07816 842568

“There has also been a positive impact on our organisaiton. As the service has expanded, we have seen an impressive increase in the length of tenancies, resulting in a reduction of void costs and re-let times.”

“There are also additional benefits for tenants – we offer a frequent delivery service to ensure that the furniture arrives before a tenancy starts, repair and replace damaged or broken furniture and collect it once it is no longer required.”

“YHN’s Furniture Service is also a great example of partnership working within the social housing sector. In addition to the 5,500 YHN tenants currently using the service, YHN holds contracts with 15 external organisations such as Homes for Northumberland and South Tyneside Homes to support an additional 5,500 tenants. The service is now the largest furnished

tenancy provider in the UK currently supporting over 11,000 households.”

Jason added: “Partnership working is more important than ever.

Housing providers are operating in changing times, with new regulations and difficult economic circumstances. This environment presents both challenges and opportunities and we believe that the Furniture Service is a great example of innovation and ‘added value’. We hope to continue to develop the service and replicate it across the UK to help support other housing providers.”

feature housing

Local heroes Post-boom, the extensive improvement planned for Newcastle’s Byker and Scotswood estates could have stalled. But thanks to innovative thinking and local regeneration funding, it is full steam ahead. And the plans are benefiting long-term residents the most, as Paul Coleman reports

The Byker estate, designed by architect Ralph Erskine, must be the only surviving large 1970s council estate with its own heritage centre. It is also – crucially for the 4,500 residents – one of the few being preserved and refurbished, rather than facing demolition.

Key to the Grade II*-listed estate’s salvation was the resolution of an age-old problem of under-investment, through transfer to community ownership and management. Byker Community Trust can borrow against its own ongoing income surplus – rents and service 34

charges generate about £7 million each year, while management, maintenance and service costs some £5.5 million – and invest the funds in estate improvements.

Vital to the trust’s success has been the government’s agreement to absorb a £43 million debt – from previous development funding – which swallowed much of the estate’s income.

Now, around £70 million of capital investment is projected over the next 30 years to bring the estate up to 21st century standards – like any listed building, refurbishment costs are

higher than demolition and rebuilding.

Improvements will include modernising the district heating system, bringing underused buildings back into use, and refurbishing the famous Byker Wall, a long, continuous block of apartments.

The money can be secured once the transfer of Byker’s 1,800 properties to the trust is completed from Newcastle City Council – the estate’s owner since it was built. The big responsibility for Byker will then pass to an 11-strong board, made up of four elected tenant representatives (active, long-term residents), four

housing feature

independents, two city councillors and one representative from Your Homes Newcastle (the body that currently manages the estate).

The trust was created after a 2011 ballot, when two-thirds of tenants voted for transfer. Work began in March 2012 to get all Byker homes up to the Decent Homes Standard, with new kitchens, bathrooms, rewiring and new windows.

In early 2012, residents – mainly Byker tenants – moved into the 15home Bolam Coyne, empty and derelict for more than 10 years and now a refurbished £2 million scheme.

Famously, Erskine designed Byker for local people, basing it around churches, pubs and public baths. Tenants were deeply involved in the estate’s original design and around 60% of its early residents came from the Byker area.

The trust extends this tradition.

Tenants are keen to see a revamp of the existing, costly gas-fired district heating system. “People will only now pay for the energy they use thanks to a more efficient new system,” says Richard Beedle, project co-ordinator for the trust. The trust will also look at how grounds maintenance could develop local training and job opportunities, perhaps through new social enterprises.

“Now, around £70 million of capital investment is projected over the next 30 years to bring the estate up to 21st century standards” Meanwhile, over at Scotswood, next to the river, another partnership is helping create a sustainable neighbourhood based on local needs. Many young people want to stay in the area, but are faced with the choice between an ageing low-value traditional terrace, staying with Mum and Dad or quitting Scotswood.

That is why Scotswood’s new neighbourhood of up to 1,800 homes for sale, shared ownership and rent is so vital.

To be developed by the New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC), the area’s urban regeneration delivery vehicle, the new neighbourhood will entice many economically-active families from other Tyneside areas to the new community, as well as offering choice for existing local residents.

“This is the biggest housing led regeneration project in north-east England,” says Amanda Senior of NTWDG. “We are not tinkering.”

Above and below: Energy efficient new family homes at Scotswood.

Opposite: Green space for a new community.

35

feature housing Below: Bolam Coyne’s 17 properties at Byker were developed into 15 two and three-bed sustainable homes, now fully occupied.

Resident Mick Brady agrees: “This is fantastic news for the area, providing much needed investment and facilities.”

NTWDC’s staff began work in March 2011 on its 15-year plan to create a mixed housing economy to underpin a sustainable community. All homes will be within easy reach of Newcastle city centre, with many enjoying great views over the Tyne. The proportion of spacious three and four-bedroom homes is higher than normal for a brownfield, new-build site. “The council wants to attract families who will stay, rather than up sticks and move on,” says Senior.

NTWDC was formed in February 2011 from a historic partnership between Newcastle City Council and a powerful house-building joint venture made up of Barratt, Keepmoat and Yuill (BKY). This arrangement reduces the traditional land purchase and development risks, and will secure more than £265 million of public and private money to transform the 60-ha Newcastle West End site.

The BKY partners will compete to sell homes. But all three insist each home must achieve rigorous Homes and Communities Agency standards and the highest Code for Sustainable

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“We jumped at this chance to be part of such an important project for the west of Newcastle” Homes. Energy efficient family homes will be allied to new neighbourhood and community facilities, all set within new green links and public spaces.

Detailed planning applications involved intensive consultation with residents’ groups and third sector bodies last year. New homes will come out of the ground in late 2012, in various sizes and layouts. “Scotswood will attract a diverse market so we need a diverse product,” says Senior. (See page 25) Local enterprises — as well as residents — will benefit from regeneration, which will generate jobs in turn. While local businesses cannot be directly favoured, the NTWDC regeneration vehicle is helping small and medium-sized businesses to become ‘bid-ready’.

Local construction companies met with BKY procurement teams at

St Margaret’s Church in November 2011 to learn about supplier and subcontractor opportunities, while business-to-business support specialists offered firms expert guidance on the policy documents required when bidding.

“We jumped at this chance to be part of such an important project for the west of Newcastle,” says Evan Hall of local plumbing firm NESS Plumbing and Heating. “We were impressed with the help and guidance we were given.”

For more direct help for the jobless during Scotswood’s first phase, NTWDC will work with other agencies to get longer-term unemployed people ready for the micro-job market created by the project’s later phases. Ties will also be strengthened with pupils at the Excelsior Academy that opened in 2008 just 400 yards away. n

Part of the Fabrick group www.fabrickgroup.co.uk

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finance feature

Forward funding Financing regeneration projects is a challenge in this economy but local authorities are looking to alternative mechanisms. Paul Woods, director of finance and resources at Newcastle City Council, speaks to Colin Marrs

1. What is an accelerated development zone and what is tax incremental financing?

2. What are the issues that the ADZ/TIF proposals are trying to address in the city?

Tax incremental financing (TIF) has been a popular form of regeneration funding in the United States for many years.

TIF works by allowing local authorities to raise finance to fund regeneration projects against anticipated future business rates – ie against revenues which would not have arisen but for the regeneration project going ahead.

Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council have together developed a proposal for an accelerated development zone (ADZ), which will use TIF on specific development sites to enable both councils to retain new business rate income for 25 years. This will be used to finance the cost of £151 million of new infrastructure investment across Newcastle city centre and Gateshead centre – to accelerate growth across the wider ADZ area.

In the current difficult economic climate, public funds for capital investment are scarce, and private sector uncertainty about the strength of the occupier market and wider economy means that developers and financiers are more risk averse than they were a few years ago. TIF represents a very attractive opportunity to tackle current market failures, speedup development in major sites across the city centre, address the current shortage of grade A office space and create a much-needed economic stimulus.

3. What sites have been identified to be included in the ADZ/TIF scheme and why were they selected?

The major development sites in the ADZ include Science Central, Central Station and Stephenson Quarter (pictured above), East Pilgrim Street, Gateshead Quays and Baltic Business Quarter. These sites have already been established as the priority future employment opportunities and growth areas

“In the current difficult economic climate, public funds for capital investment are scarce”

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feature finance in Newcastle and Gateshead’s joint economic and spatial 20-year masterplan, the 1PLAN, and are accessible to residents from across the north-east.

4. Can you identify the sort of infrastructure schemes that money borrowed under any future TIF scheme would be spent on?

“Once approved, new development within our ADZ can begin almost immediately”

The type of infrastructure required across the ADZ varies site by site. For example, Central Station and Stephenson Quarter suffer from major access issues which inhibit development, so the infrastructure needed to open up the site includes significant investment in highways improvements, the rerouting of traffic and substantial enhancements to the public realm.

Other sites require demolitions, remediation or major transport improvements including relocation of traffic and busy bus routes.

Without this scale of infrastructure investment and intervention, the likelihood of the ADZ sites being developed at pace by the private sector alone is fairly minimal.

5. What is the timescale for introducing the ADZ and how long would it run for?

Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council are seeking approval from central government to utilise TIF over a 25-year timeframe. Both councils require the confidence and assurance that a 25-year period brings to manage the financial risk associated with large scale infrastructure projects.

Once approved, new development within our ADZ can begin almost immediately. We are therefore pushing government for a quick decision on our proposal.

6. What are the outcomes in terms of development and employment rates that you are targeting?

The NewcastleGateshead ADZ will deliver several outcomes: • create over 17,000 (mainly knowledge intensive) private sector jobs; • create over 1,000 temporary construction jobs; • deliver an annual uplift in regional GVA of about £700 million; • lever over £800 million private sector investment; • bring forward over 300,000sq m of new office development and 36,000sq m retail space.

7. You have said that you will look at other funding mechanisms in addition to TIF within the ADZ. Could you outline what these might be?

We are keen to investigate and secure other appropriate sources of funding, such as the Regional Growth Fund, Growing Places Fund or European 40

finance feature

Centre: Gateshead’s waterfront with the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the Sage, and the boundary of a site identified in the TIF/ADZ bid.

Top: Further development of Newcastle’s Science Central could also benefit from TIF funding, if the NewcastleGateshead bid is approved by the government.

Above: Newcastle’s East Pilgrim Street is a 17-ha area next to the city’s retail centre.

Below left: The Baltic Business Quarter is a new commercial district for Gateshead.

Regional Development Fund to de-risk prudential borrowing undertaken to deliver the infrastructure in the ADZ.

10. What other actions around business creation, employment and skills is the city council planning to help support the aims of the ADZ/TIF?

8. Are you looking to relax the planning regime in the ADZ in order to encourage development?

Newcastle City Council will align and integrate wider council activities and services, and those of its partners, with the ADZ to ensure maximum economic impact and benefit to local residents.

For example, we will ensure that new employment opportunities are promoted to unemployed residents. We will increase the numbers of apprenticeships and skills levels across the city, working with local employers and the further education sector to align current and future business needs.

We will also ensure that inward investment opportunities are effectively promoted beyond the region. This will be done through the introduction of a new inward investment and business-winning function across Newcastle and Gateshead. n

We are investigating ways in which the planning regime could be simplified, although this is challenging in a city centre with high numbers of listed buildings.

9. Will you be looking to introduce any measures to avoid the danger of displacing existing businesses from other parts of the city, to ensure that jobs created are new ones?

Unlike enterprise zones, our ADZ proposal does not involve any incentives for firms to move from one part of the city to another, so our expectation would be that displacement will be minimal.

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Renaissance partners groups joining together to support Newcastle

Aura • Kirsty Thirlwell, info@auranewcastle.com

Hammerson • Peter Cooper, Peter.Cooper@hammerson.com

Keepmoat Homes • Ian Prescott, ian.prescott@keepmoathomes.co.uk

McAleer & Rushe • Graham Mitchell, graham@mcaleer-rushe.co.uk

Metnor • Gerald Hall, ghall@metnor.co.uk

Newcastle Int Airport • Graham Mason, gm@newcastleinternational.co.uk

Newcastle University • Professor Chris Brink, chris.brink@ncl.ac.uk

Nexus • Huw lewis, huw.lewis@nexus.org.uk

School of the Built and Natural Environment, Northumbria University • Barry Errington, barry.errington@northumbria.ac.uk

Places for People • Steve Mather, steve.mather@placesforpeople.co.uk

Quorum • Fergus Trim, fergus.trim@quorumbp.co.uk

Space • Rob Charlton, rob.charlton@spacegroup.co.uk

Tees Valley Housing • Doug Ross, doug.ross@fabrickgroup.co.uk

Toffee Factory • Toby Hyam, toby@creativespaceman.com

WYG Environment Planning Transport • Dr Nick Bunn, nick.bunn@wyg.com

Xsite • Tim Bailey, tim@xsitearchitecture.co.uk

For more information about these companies, visit www.renaissancenewcastle.com

sustainability feature

Green light With sustainability measures touching almost every aspect of the city’s life from insulation to roads, Newcastle is one of the greenest cities in the UK, and was recently in the running to become European Green Capital in 2014, writes Mark Smulian

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feature sustainability

Below: A luxury Range Rover was among the cars trialled in an electric vehicle pilot.

Bottom: Stagecoach North East operates a fleet of hybrid electric buses around the city.

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Newcastle — green? Those not in the know may be surprised to learn that this city built on mining and manufacturing was in 2009 voted the UK’s most sustainable by the Forum for the Future, retained the accolade in 2010, and was recently in the running to become European Green Capital in 2014.

Forum for the Future says: “It has placed itself at the centre of an increasingly vibrant clean tech cluster in the north-east and aims to become a world class centre of science and innovation, benefiting economically and socially from the green economy.”

But can Newcastle build on its successes to meet these goals? Essential activity is in place, from encouraging electric vehicles to retrofitting homes with insulation, and even a programme to protect bees by placing hives in parks in order to conserve their habitats.

Newcastle City Council climate change adviser Adrian McLoughlin explains that engaging the public in sustainability needs a range of approaches to capture and keep their attention. “It is a holistic approach. We use local, national and global events around sustainability to gain people’s attention.

For example, our own Environment Week, which has proved very popular.

“While five years ago it was about awarenessraising, there is now a bit of climate change fatigue, so it is more about giving people actions they can take, rather than talking about the global impact of climate change,” he says.

The council has community engagement teams

who explain to residents how they can engage with public services in a more sustainable way, for example by increasing their use of recycling.

“There is a successful eco-school programme,” McLoughlin says, “which engages schools to use their grounds for environmental education, and to improve their own environmental performance.”

But raising awareness can only go so far. Holding its position as one of Europe’s greenest cities needs practical action. One example has been the Warm Zone programme, which uses funding that the energy industry is legally obliged to devote to energy efficiency work. Every home in the city has been assessed, and so far some 33,000 insulated, saving residents £4 million in annual fuel costs, greatly improving residents’ quality of life, and reducing the city’s CO2 output by 25,000 tonnes a year.

The council is looking to tap into the Green Deal on behalf of the whole north-east, which would make it more affordable for homeowners to pay for improvements such as loft and cavity insulation, solid wall insulation, solar panels and energy efficient boilers, by spreading the cost over 25 years.

Henri Murison, the council’s cabinet member for quality of life, says: “As a council at the very forefront of the low carbon agenda, we are now taking the lead in a project which we hope will have benefits for homeowners not only in Newcastle but the wider region.”

On the roads, the council already has its own fleet of 25 electric vehicles, including vans, pool cars

sustainability feature Newcastle City Council’s climate change strategy • Reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 34% (from 1990 levels) by 2020 • Reduce carbon emissions from the council’s own buildings, services, transport fleet and staff travel • Meet 20% of the council’s electricity demand from low carbon energy sources by 2020 • Reduce domestic waste by 15% and increase domestic recycling to 55% by 2020 • Build all new council homes to the zero carbon standard from 2016 and help existing residents to reduce their energy use • Ensure that every home that can benefit from cavity and loft insulation has been treated by 2015 • Develop the Science Central site (pictured left) as the focal point for sustainability research • Promote lower carbon methods of travel, aiming for a 4% reduction in fuel use through walking, cycling and better use of public transport by 2020 • Encourage levels of employment in ‘green’ industries

and small refuse collection trucks. Now, charging points for electric vehicles have started to appear around the city to enable a public trial of electric cars. Sixty charge points are available, 47 in public places installed by the council and the rest on land owned by other participants such as the universities.

Residents have been invited to try out electric vehicles through Commonwheels, a local car club that allows people to use cars when they need to without actually owning one, with vehicles used including the Nissan Leaf, Peugeot Ion and even a Range Rover.

Professor Paul Younger, chair of the group in charge of the European Green Capital bid (details in panel overleaf ), says he sees electric vehicles as the future for urban transport, although he admits getting widespread use is a bit chicken and egg.

“Do you put all the charging infrastructure in and hope people will start to use the cars?”

According to Sally Herbert, the council’s sustainable travel officer, the trial is going very well.

“The feedback to date has been very positive. People say it is a quite different driving experience from a conventional car, far quieter and smoother and ideal for shorter trips in towns.”

Younger is also enthusiastic about the idea of

“We are now taking the lead in a project which we hope will have benefits for homeowners not only in Newcastle but the wider region” using electric delivery trucks to ferry goods to shops and commercial premises from a depot in nearby Team Valley. Suppliers’ lorries would unload there, rather than driving into central Newcastle, thus saving two lots of CO2-heavy lorry journeys.

Another transport initiative has been the launch by local operator Stagecoach North East of a £7.2 million fleet of 26 hybrid electric buses, which have carbon emissions 30% lower than conventional vehicles. This was backed by £2.2 million from the Government’s Green Bus Fund. The city council has supported this initiative by stepping up traffic enforcement to improve bus reliability.

The roads these electric buses and cars need are also following the council’s climate change strategy.

Newcastle’s transport asset management plan takes

Above: Many Newcastle residents have ditched car ownership in favour of car clubs, such as social enterprise, Commonwheels.

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feature sustainability European Green Capital bid lessons

Above: Newcastle has a full range of public transport options –Tyne and Wear Metro is the UK’s second largest urban rapid transit system, after the London Underground network.

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account of climate change in the design of new or improved roads, with energy-efficient LED street lighting installed on a trial basis, with remote monitoring so that lights are not wastefully left on when not needed. The plan also promotes walking and cycling rather than driving, in particular on school journeys.

Spatial planning policies will be used to reinforce the climate change strategy by reducing the carbon footprint of new developments, for example by promoting higher densities in areas served by sustainable transport and the re-use of ‘brownfield’ land and recycled construction materials. n

Newcastle is looking to build on experience gained during its recent bid to become the European Green Capital in 2014. After missing out on the accolade, David Slater, the city council’s executive director of environment and regeneration said: “We have learned about the huge efforts by local people and businesses already being made, and it has made us ambitious to do even more in the years ahead.”

Work will now continue with partners to deliver many of the green sustainable projects planned for the bid.

Professor Paul Younger, director of Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, based at Newcastle University, chaired the group for the city’s bid to become European Green Capital for 2014. He explains that sustainability has been part of Newcastle’s story for decades, even though it might not always be recognised as such.

“If you look at the city centre, it is a very long time since the industry that shaped it was here, but it left behind these beautiful sandstone buildings built from the proceeds of coal, and that is sustainability in a way,” he says. “A further sustainable legacy is the city’s approach to transport. This city gave the world viable rail transport, to move coal from collieries to the sea.” The resultant disused rail lines were converted for use by the Metro rail system, which has helped Newcastle to unusually high levels of public transport use compared with other UK cities outside London, a vital factor in a sustainable future.

“Key to the Forum for the Future award was the use of public transport,” says Younger.

“Eldon Square is the UK’s largest indoor mall and 78% arrive there by public transport.”

Some argue that embracing sustainability is a burden on business – not the case in Newcastle, where local companies have embraced the concept. “I do not get the sense that business sees being green as an imposition,” says Younger. “I think they see green industries as an opportunity that they would be crazy not to pursue.

“People here are not scared of manufacturing – it’s what this area was built on, and the North East Chamber of Commerce and regional Confederation of British Industry are very much pinning their hopes on sustainability.

The atmosphere is not one of grudging acceptance but one of enthusiasm.”

To succeed, sustainability policies need to be accepted by the public, as well as the city council and businesses. Younger believes attitudes vary according to experience. “People do not necessarily think they are being green when they use public transport, but they are.”