Gateshead Old Town Hall regen gets nod from Council
Transformational plans to repurpose the only surviving purpose-built Victorian town hall in Tyne and Wear have taking a big step forward.
Brought forward by social impact developers Capital&Centric, the plans look to give the historic Gateshead Town Hall a new lease of life as a community of new characterful homes.
Once the council headquarters until the chamber, civic suite and council offices were relocated to the new civic centre in 1987, the Grade II listed building and surrounding surface car parks are set to become a thriving neighbourhood with cafes, bars, restaurants and lush green spaces.
We matched the developer's ambition for the town centre site, with our cabinet agreeing to work with Capital&Centric on the refurb at yesterday's meeting.
The landmark decision paves the way for the developer to start preparing a detailed vision to bring the building back into use, with the developer set to launch a consultation and seek views from the local community later this year.
John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric said: "We've got an exciting opportunity to create something really special here at the Old Town Hall. We're really chuffed to see the Council share our enthusiasm as we continue to develop a detailed vision for the neighbourhood.
"The building is full of history and oozes character, which gives us the opportunity to create some really unique homes. We all know town and city centres are changing but this will inject new life into the area, bringing people to live and visit and regenerating a key town centre site.
Cllr Leigh Kirton, cabinet member for economy and communications, said: "Yesterday, cabinet confirmed our plans to work with Capital&Centric to redevelop the much-loved Old Town Hall - an important step forward for this historic building and for Gateshead Town Centre.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the Grade II listed building back to life by creating new homes right in the heart of Gateshead and to transform the surrounding area into a welcoming neighbourhood with cafes and green spaces designed for the everyone to enjoy. This development is a key part of our wider regeneration plans for the town centre, helping us to create a vibrant, thriving place for people to live, work and visit.
"We're looking forward to working closely with Capital&Centric to ensure this project becomes something everyone in Gateshead can be proud of."
The development will be part of the wider regeneration of the town, which Capital&Centric has made clear it wants to play its part in, with the potential to branch out to different sites in the area.
The Manchester-based developer has carved out a reputation for creative placemaking and repurposing some of the UK's iconic historic buildings, turning them into new homes, work and cultural spaces fit for the 21st Century. Their plans to convert the first car park in the UK into homes in Newcastle-under-Lyme were recently approved, with other conversions including shopping centres, breweries and nightclubs also in the pipeline.
Having a slew of projects across Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and the Midlands, the Old Town Hall marks their first foray into the North East.
Capital&Centric invest £3million a week in regeneration across eight live construction sites as they expand into towns and cities across the UK, including Wolverhampton, Gateshead, and Sheffield. The developer recently announced its biggest project to date - delivering 2,000 homes for the UK's largest new town, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire.
Transformational plans to repurpose the only surviving purpose-built Victorian town hall in Tyne and Wear have taking a big step forward.
Brought forward by social impact developers Capital&Centric, the plans look to give the historic Gateshead Town Hall a new lease of life as a community of new characterful homes.
Once the council headquarters until the chamber, civic suite and council offices were relocated to the new civic centre in 1987, the Grade II listed building and surrounding surface car parks are set to become a thriving neighbourhood with cafes, bars, restaurants and lush green spaces.
We matched the developer's ambition for the town centre site, with our cabinet agreeing to work with Capital&Centric on the refurb at yesterday's meeting.
The landmark decision paves the way for the developer to start preparing a detailed vision to bring the building back into use, with the developer set to launch a consultation and seek views from the local community later this year.
John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric said: "We've got an exciting opportunity to create something really special here at the Old Town Hall. We're really chuffed to see the Council share our enthusiasm as we continue to develop a detailed vision for the neighbourhood.
"The building is full of history and oozes character, which gives us the opportunity to create some really unique homes. We all know town and city centres are changing but this will inject new life into the area, bringing people to live and visit and regenerating a key town centre site.
Cllr Leigh Kirton, cabinet member for economy and communications, said: "Yesterday, cabinet confirmed our plans to work with Capital&Centric to redevelop the much-loved Old Town Hall - an important step forward for this historic building and for Gateshead Town Centre.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the Grade II listed building back to life by creating new homes right in the heart of Gateshead and to transform the surrounding area into a welcoming neighbourhood with cafes and green spaces designed for the everyone to enjoy. This development is a key part of our wider regeneration plans for the town centre, helping us to create a vibrant, thriving place for people to live, work and visit.
"We're looking forward to working closely with Capital&Centric to ensure this project becomes something everyone in Gateshead can be proud of."
The development will be part of the wider regeneration of the town, which Capital&Centric has made clear it wants to play its part in, with the potential to branch out to different sites in the area.
The Manchester-based developer has carved out a reputation for creative placemaking and repurposing some of the UK's iconic historic buildings, turning them into new homes, work and cultural spaces fit for the 21st Century. Their plans to convert the first car park in the UK into homes in Newcastle-under-Lyme were recently approved, with other conversions including shopping centres, breweries and nightclubs also in the pipeline.
Having a slew of projects across Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and the Midlands, the Old Town Hall marks their first foray into the North East.
Capital&Centric invest £3million a week in regeneration across eight live construction sites as they expand into towns and cities across the UK, including Wolverhampton, Gateshead, and Sheffield. The developer recently announced its biggest project to date - delivering 2,000 homes for the UK's largest new town, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire.
