Gateshead Regeneration Plan

Gateshead is uniquely placed in the heart of North East to provide a location for sustainable urban growth.  

We are unique for several reasons: Our location. At the centre of the region, served by major roads, rail and close to the airport. Most of our sites are only 10 minutes' walk or one metro stop from Newcastle Central Station and two stops and 15 minutes' walk from Newcastle City Centre.  

Our environment. Our renewable energy network generates heat and power for our public buildings and private business and homes. We are looking at geothermal options for our more rural areas. We are investing significantly in our blue and green infrastructure, and in our pedestrian and cycle infrastructure.  

We're great to do business with. We own much of the land we wish to redevelop, and our plans give certainty on what can be built. We have an award-winning planning team and a Business Support team to help with sites and staff. We have a track record of innovation and joint ventures with housebuilders and our big employers.  

Development in Gateshead isn't without its challenges, as we recognise the impact of dealing with our industrial past, but with excellent partnership working, passion and vision, we will work proactively with our neighbours and stakeholders to create the homes and jobs necessary for a thriving future.  

Our objectives are aligned with the Government's missions to kickstart economic growth and deliver the homes the country needs, and the North East Mayor's plans to back sustainable transport and revitalise town centres. 

Ultimately, we're doing all of this to benefit our residents - creating great, affordable places to live and visit, providing more and better job opportunities, ensuring access to renewable and lower-cost energy, and making it efficient and easier to move around.  

We have unprecedented opportunities in Gateshead - the land, the plans, and the infrastructure to embrace net-zero living. Now is the time to turn our plans into reality and seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver the regeneration our borough deserves.  

Cllr Martin Gannon  
Leader of Gateshead Council 

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Gateshead has a long history of innovation and pushing boundaries, re-inventing itself and enabling regeneration again and again. 

Gateshead was the first place to have a house powered by an electric light bulb. It had the first purpose-built Trading Estate at Team Valley in the 1930s. During the 1980s, Sir John Hall built Europe's largest shopping centre - the Metrocentre. In the 1990s, it hosted the National Gateshead Garden Festival to showcase innovation and regeneration, and at the end of the decade, it commissioned the Angel of the North.  

Starting the 21st Century boldly, the focus was on cultural regeneration and welcoming some of the UK's most renowned architects and artists. The Glasshouse ICM, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge transformed the landscape and perceptions of the borough. 

New approaches to housing development also raised Gateshead's profile nationally - at Dunston Staiths, the first home zone in the country. The Gateshead Regeneration Partnership's innovative funding structure ensured new hundreds of quality; affordable homes could be built where they were needed most.  

More recently, we have celebrated our rich natural and heritage assets such as the Tyne and Derwent Rivers with the creation of partnerships around Land of Oak and Iron and the Tyne Derwent Way, and investment into the award-winning Saltwell Park and the National Trust's Gibside estate. 

And in the last few years, the council backed the digital and technology clusters in Baltic Quarter, with the building of office and R&D space at Riga and Proto and bringing in the Digital Catapult. Baltic Quarter is also home to the Council's district energy centre, with the country's largest urban solar farm and energy generated from mine water, providing renewable heat and power across the whole of the town centre. 

Gateshead is where the future unfolds

From its iconic heritage to a new, forward-thinking approach to regeneration, Gateshead isn't just evolving, it's redefining the landscape.  

Gateshead ICC Gateshead is the most sustainable location for growth in the North East region, sitting on the south bank of the Tyne, sharing its urban core with Newcastle. We believe that over the next 25 years, Gateshead will once again be at the forefront of innovation and delivering on its huge growth potential on regeneration sites. 

• 20,000 new residents - 20,000 new residents will transform the area into a thriving, vibrant community
• 8,500 new jobs - Gateshead is on track to create 8,500 new jobs, driving economic growth
• 9,500 new homes

A bold vision for regeneration 

We want Gateshead to be a place where everyone thrives. We want it to be a great borough, with vibrant communities, where residents feel supported and live fulfilled lives, businesses can grow, and our environmental impact is minimised. 

Redevelopment of the Town Centre will provide over 4,000 new homes for up to 10,000 new residents who will enjoy a lifestyle that prioritises livability, connectivity, affordability, and sustainability, offering a real opportunity to live a net-zero life. 

The new Conference Centre and Arena on the Gateshead Quays will elevate our international profile and turbocharge the visitor economy, making our town a global destination. By repurposing underused brownfield land around the Metrocentre, in partnership we will create a vibrant riverside community with 3,500 new homes. This revitalised area will embrace new leisure opportunities, making it a perfect place to live, visit and enjoy.  

The infrastructure will be in place to enable Team Valley to become a hotbed of advanced manufacturing, providing the jobs of the future and driving economic growth.  

Our neighbourhoods will have vibrant centres and new affordable homes to support existing communities.  

Every part of the borough will have access to reliable, renewable, affordable energy ensuring a sustainable future for all residents. 

This document provides the framework for Regeneration, detailing Gateshead's unique assets, strategic location, existing and planned infrastructure, huge sites de-risked and ready for development, and a commitment to enabling all residents to thrive and provide a pathway to a net-zero lifestyle.  

Our approach will balance short term efforts to instil Pride in Place and create meanwhile uses to benefit residents and increase footfall to support local businesses, with the long-term requirement for planning, phasing, securing investment, construction, infrastructure, and building partnerships.  

There are three areas in Gateshead where regeneration will create great places to live, work and enjoy. They are already allocated for significant growth in the Local Plan, which provides the framework for a regeneration spatial strategy backed by policy: 

• our town centre and quays, which is part of the NewcastleGateshead urban core 

• the riverside, which includes Metrocentre and brownfield sites 

• our neighbourhoods and local centres 

Three priorities 

Reimagining Gateshead: Transforming the town centre and quays 

This is the greatest opportunity for investment and delivery, with over 30 hectares of land allocated for redevelopment. Phased development of up to 4,000 homes and commercial spaces on land mostly owned by the Council and connected to the renewable energy network. 

Riverside Renewal: Revitalising Gateshead's waterfront  

Maximising the catalytic effect of the Town Centre and Quays developments to promote and enable development along the River Tyne, Derwent and Teams. Regeneration activity could lead to 3,500 homes, alongside the investment plans of the economic powerhouses of the Metrocentre and Team Valley. 

Transforming Neighbourhoods and local centres  

Unlocking strategic sites (including brownfield) of sufficient scale to reverse decline or market failure. Creating sustainable neighbourhoods and villages, including Felling local centre, through strategic and considered use of public sector funding to provide affordable homes where they are most needed. 

Overcoming obstacles and working in partnership 

Viability can be difficult owing to Gateshead's industrial legacy and lower sales/rental values, requiring an injection of gap funding. The inclusion of these three locations in the Strategic Place Partnership that steers Combined Authority and Homes England investment provides a pathway to securing that gap funding.  

A Gateshead Regeneration Partnership Board structure has been approved that will include NECA, Homes England, MHCLG, DfT and private partners to steer regeneration activity.  

It is intended that both the Plan itself and its work programme are flexible 'living' documents that will adapt over time to take account of new opportunities, external funding opportunities and policy, physical constraints and council priorities. 

Pride in place 

Regeneration is a long-term process, with multiple complex processes and phases, meaning that positive change and achievement of objectives can appear far off.  

The Angel of the North To show immediate impact, we will integrate efforts to instil "pride in place", create programmes of meanwhile uses, to ensure that our residents, stakeholders and visitors can see and are involved in tangible improvements from the start, whilst understanding the trajectory of transformation over the longer term.  

The immediate actions will be delivered through existing council strategies and services. The Environment Strategy is a vital part of our vision to create a clean, safe, and attractive environment for businesses and visitors that enhances the quality of life of our residents, encouraging investment in our economy. It is a statement of intent and shows a duty of care and commitment to priority places.  

Over the next 12-24months, our Cultural Strategy will help build footfall and celebrate our culture, through public events and art which recognises the importance culture can play in changing perceptions, rejuvenating forgotten places, and giving reasons for people to visit. The first year of activity, under the banner of "Creative Spaces", will focus on Town Centre and riverside locations.  

Our Town Centre Manager and Ambassadors have a particular focus on working with local businesses and stakeholders to improving our local centre and its offer. And we are rolling out similar approaches in other local centres. 

The Gateshead offer

For investors, developers and occupiers, we know environmental and social responsibility are as important as returns on investment, and here it is easy to show how our people, our community and our environment are directly benefiting from growth - the social value. 

There is a compelling case to come to Gateshead, providing the necessary credentials for stakeholders and shareholders, through a combination of unique location advantages, existing infrastructure, and corporate policies and regulatory frameworks that instil confidence and clarity of outcome delivery. These "building blocks" for inward investment are set out below. 

From renewable energy to smart urban design, Gateshead's transformation will set new standards for innovation, resilience, and sustainable economic growth. 

Our emerging Sustainable Development Framework is built to meet and exceed global ESG standards, making Gateshead a prime destination for forward-thinking investors. The framework is designed to align seamlessly with international sustainability criteria, ensuring investment security and long-term growth. With a powerful, data-driven approach, our goal is to shape a region that is greener, smarter, and more prosperous, attracting investment nationally and internationally, leading to the creation of thriving communities built to last. 

"Building blocks" for inward investment 

1 - Purpose built for ESG alignment 

Strategically designed to meet and exceed international ESG criteria. 

2 - A magnet for major projects  

Attracting significant investments though data-driven insights and resilient infrastructure. 

3 - Meeting the highest global benchmarks 

Full alignment with leading international standards such as C40 Cities and the UN SDGs. 

"There's a real sense of collaboration here. Gateshead is a place where ideas can take off, and we'll support you in making them happen." 

The Gateshead ambition

We have bold plans to tackle inequality through transforming our town centre and other areas. A once in a lifetime opportunity to create the place people will want to live in in the future so they don't move away and we attract homes and jobs and build the place for the future. 

Our corporate plan aims to make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives. It aims to address inequality whilst championing fairness and social justice. Investment in Gateshead, and by the Council, will focus on those goals. We want Gateshead to have an aspirational outlook and remain ambitious for the people of Gateshead, reflecting the needs of local people and building for our future generations. 

Although we know the challenges, the council is committed to kick starting economic growth and by bringing public, private and voluntary sector together. The Gateshead Strategic Partnership will drive forward borough wide priorities and ensure our residents can access a good job, a decent home and live healthy and fulfilled lives in thriving communities. 

"If you put people at the heart of everything you do, your economy improves because people are living better lives." 

Gateshead energy

The Gateshead Energy Network is at the cutting edge of renewable energy production and connection. Over £50m has already been invested in the heat/power generation plant, 6km of network, the UK's largest mine water heat pump in operation and urban solar. It's already providing 8 MW of heat to customers, with a current capacity for 25 MW. Funding has been secured for the next 1.5km extension to cover every site in the town centre, to be completed by 2027. 

The 10-year growth plan has the ambition to expand to provide over 80 MW to customers, comprising of 17,200 dwellings (almost 20% of Gateshead homes) and over 60% of Council buildings, plus major hospital/public / commercial loads. This will mean increasing the network length to 35km of pipe. 

To achieve our Net Zero target, diversification is vital, and tests have started to determine whether geothermal heat and power can be generated from drilling down 6km in several promising locations around the borough. 

"With a declared climate emergency and a Net Zero by 2030 goal, we've prioritised sustainable infrastructure, including a district energy network." 

Gateshead partnerships

Gateshead Council is great to do business with. The door is open to investors of all sizes and sectors. 

With an economy worth over £14.8 billion (GVA), a population of 200,000 and a regional workforce of 1.5 million it's easy to see how Gateshead is one of the most accessible and most cost-effective regions in the UK, with very competitive wages and lower than average operating costs, ensuring value for money and a high return on investment. 

The Council is a mature, pro-growth organisation that has a track record of successful partnerships with the private sector, using its land and assets to enable delivery. The housebuilding joint venture with Vistry and Home Group has been delivering homes for over a decade. The development agreement with Ask / Patrizia for the Quays has weathered unprecedented macro-economic factors. And use of the Pagabo and Scape frameworks has streamlined procurement and sped up delivery.  

Working with Invest Newcastle, the Council's experienced Business Team welcomes inward investment and can provide guidance and support to recruit a local workforce; give access to skills and training solutions; provide local knowledge, research and statistics; introduce to local supply chains and relevant networks; and offer advice on local, regional and national funding schemes. 

Connected Gateshead

Gateshead benefits from fantastic road links throughout the area and beyond, with a further £40m of upgrades planned over the next few years. It has excellent access to the strategic road network, the A19 and A1(M).  

Tyne and Wear Metro runs across the east of the borough, with mainline trains covering the west. Both link directly to Newcastle and the East Coast main rail line. Whether by car or train, Newcastle International Airport is only 20minutes way - which offers up to 15 scheduled flights to London each day, as well as many other European and global destinations.  

The bus interchange is scheduled for redevelopment in 2027, which will transform the customer experience for the 5million annual users. 

Gateshead talent

The four local universities of Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Durham provide world-class higher education to around 85,000 students. Once graduated, around two-thirds stay in the area, giving companies access to fresh talent, year after year. We are also home to the outstanding Gateshead College, located in the town centre, and high performing schools. 

The regeneration plans for the Town Centre and Quays are based on five key assets - it is the southern half of Newcastle Gateshead Urban Core; 40ha of brownfield land is allocated for redevelopment; most sites and assets are owned by the Council; there is clarity on use and quantum via the Local Plan and Masterplans and Gateshead District Energy network can connect to all sites.  

Gateshead shares its quayside, river front and skyline with Newcastle. It is uniquely placed to complement Newcastle City Centre's job growth by providing accessible neighbourhoods, affordable homes and open spaces for future urban living. The future development of this combined area will be set out in a Strategic Regeneration Framework.  

In addition, the demolition of the Gateshead flyover in 2026 provides unprecedented opportunities for urban planning and design, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create new places in an established urban centre.  

The strategy for the Town Centre and Quays is based on three principles:  

• increasing the number of people living in town - through residential-led redevelopment of council land and assets 

• increasing the number of people travelling to town - creating reasons for people to come:  

  • delivering the ICC and Arena, bringing an additional million visitors per year 

  • new commercial and office accommodation, on Baltic Quarter and town centre

• Improving accessibility and active travel options / reducing the dominance of car-based travel, particularly east-west. 

Outcomes 

• growing our population - 10,000 more residents  

• destination for digital companies and staff 

• a million extra visitors 

• more accessible, permeable urban core 

• a more robust retail offer 

Outputs 

• up to 4000 new homes  

• 300,000 sq. ft new office floorspace  

• 3,500 new jobs  

• District Energy Network expansion  

• new bus interchange 

• new train station 

Delivery will be achieved by scaling up the regeneration opportunities into four programmes of regeneration activity. Phasing will be considered within the joint Strategic Regeneration Framework:  

1. Old Town Hall and Railway Quarter

Changing the perception of the town, with residential-led redevelopment of Old Town Hall, further growth of Railway Quarter and investment in Interchange & Trinity Square,  

2. Gateshead Quays and Baltic Quarter

Mixed use, urban development building on proximity to city centre - leisure, commercial and residential  

3. Southern Gateway

Residential-led development, with a high proportion of affordable homes, stitching together sites which, until now, were separated by the Flyover  

4. Infrastructure, Energy and Movement

Creation of a more permeable town centre, prioritising active and sustainable travel to connect the three programme areas; plus expansion of the district energy network to all sites.  

In the short term, the focus will be on dealing with the reputation of the area, and engaging local people in deciding what the town centre of the future will be like. This will be delivered by:  

• the Town Centre Manager and ambassadors will improve stakeholder relations and manage perception/reputation, through community engagement and branding, and work with the Police to combat anti-social behaviour and fear of crime

• being the focal point for the Cultural Strategy with initial investment around the Quays, Railway Quarter, Riverside Park and through public art

Programme 1: 1.1 Old Town Hall and Railway Quarter 

Shifting the focus of town centre activities to the north, supporting the retail/leisure/services north of Jackson St and expanding into Railway Quarter's food and beverage offer; working with Capital & Centric to create a step change in urban residential offer at the gateway to the town centre. 

Programme 1: 1.2 Gateshead Interchange 

The Council is working with the region's transport body Nexus to on a Business Case for redevelopment of the Bus Interchange, improving the experience of travelling to and through the town centre. 

Programme 2: 2.1 Baltic Quarter 

Working with a master developer, utilising 11 hectares of council owned land next to the Quays, to create a new urban quarter, replicating the look and offer of the City Centre, with new offices and homes. The council has already built new infrastructure to support the development. 

Programme 2: 2.2 Gateshead Quays

The Sage will bring a global stage to the North East with a 12,500- capacity arena to host the world's top performers in music, comedy and entertainment and International-grade conference and event space. We are expecting over a million visitors a year, generating a £70m boost for the economy and creating 2,000 jobs. 

Programme 3: 3.1 Freight Village 

Changing the housing offer and changing the perception of living in the town centre, our partners are currently building the first new, family focused homes for over 40 years. And these homes are proving to be very popular, whether buying or renting. The 270 home site will complete in early 2028. 

Programme 3: 3.2 Southern Gateway 

The removal of the Gateshead Flyover in 2026 provides transformational place making opportunities.  

Formerly a collection of individual sites alongside a significant physical barrier, the post-demolition landscape allows for the creation of a new, walkable neighbourhood right in the heart of the urban core, with sufficient scale to provide homes of all types and tenures, and allowing residents to live a net zero life.  

The next stage is appointment of a master developer, and the creation of a new masterplan, with community involvement. 

Timescales and milestones 

Short term 

• building the first phase of new homes on Council land along the southern gateway

• delivery agreement signed with Capital & Centric  

• funding package agreed for delivery of International Conference Centre / Arena  

• support redevelopment of By The River Brew, and revitalisation of Railway Quarter 

• create Strategic Regeneration Framework, aligning with Newcastle City Centre (re-focus town centre to the north)  

• creating a thriving, buzzing, cool offer across the Bridges - Railway Quarter, Church Street, Old Town Hall 

Medium term 

• start on site for International Conference Centre / Arena  

• create a new, urban neighbourhood at Baltic Quarter, comprising office and residential development 

• support the private sector to build 600 homes on sites on the Quays 

• expand low-carbon Energy Network by 3.5km across the town centre 

• work with Nexus and Homes England to redevelop the Interchange sit 

Long term 

• New train station in central Gateshead 

The Town Centre and Quays developments are set to act as powerful catalysts for further growth and regeneration along the River Tyne, Derwent, and Teams. By leveraging these developments, we aim to promote and enable extensive development along these picturesque riversides.  

Our regeneration activities could lead to the creation of 3,500 new homes, providing modern, sustainable living spaces for thousands of residents. This initiative will not only enhance the housing landscape but also contribute to the vibrancy and diversity of our community, Economic Powerhouses. The investment plans of the Metrocentre and Team Valley - two of our region's economic powerhouses - will play a crucial role in this transformation. Their contributions will drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and support the overall development of the riverside areas.  

Two programmes of regeneration activity: 

• Metro Riverside  

• Tyne Derwent Way 

Outcomes 

• growing our population - 7,000 new residents  

• a larger, more sustainable Metrocentre  

• a regional scale destination for leisure 

• a resilient and accessible Team Valley 

Outputs 

• 4,500 new homes  

• 250,000 sq ft floorspace  

• 5,000 jobs 

• 15 hectares of high-quality green space 

Metro Riverside 

Sitting on the south bank of the Tyne, just 3 miles west of the centre of Gateshead and Newcastle, MetroGreen is a transformational urban regeneration project with the Metrocentre at is heart, enveloped by a new thriving, sustainable and diverse new community. It is a springboard to a re-imagined Metrocentre with existing and evolving retail and leisure offerings. 

Tyne Derwent Way

The Gateshead Riverside Partnership is delivering the Tyne Derwent Way blue / green project, involving Gateshead Council, National Trust, Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, Newcastle University and Northumbria University. The ambitious project will see local people working to create a thriving outdoor space for themselves and future generations to enjoy along the riverbanks. 

Timescales and milestones 

Short term 

• 400 new homes on Council-owned sites at Clasper Village and Askew Road, including new Council houses. 

• work with the Riverside Partnership to develop the Tyne Derwent Way, bring investment and people back to the riverside and our cultural assets of Gibside, Staiths, Land of Oak and Iron

Medium term 

• support the Metrocentre to become more outward-facing and increase its floorspace

Long term 

• work with landowners and Homes England to build additional 3,500 homes on land in and around the Metrocentre  

• Metrocentre to double its floorspace and secure its future 

• redevelopment of Tyne Marshalling Yards for commercial development 

The spatial priority is to concentrate new housing development within the existing built-up area in our Neighbourhoods and Villages.  

This will assist in making sure our Neighbourhoods and Villages are places of choice for living, supported by sustainable access to job opportunities and a range of other services and facilities to meet the day-to-day needs of residents. The Regeneration function will support a cross-Council initiatives to support and revitalise Local Centres and businesses within our neighbourhoods and villages.  

Providing new housing - particularly affordable housing - will provide choice for people, regardless of age and income to underpin Gateshead's economic competitiveness and support our population.  

The Council will be selling its land to enable the delivery of more affordable homes. This includes 90 homes on Askew Road, 260 homes on the former Clasper Village site on the edge of the town centre; and 230 homes on the former nursery at Dunston Hill. In addition, there are two regeneration programmes:  

• Gateshead Regeneration Partnership - delivery of new homes through our Joint Venture with Vistry and Home Group - in Birtley, Teams, Beacon Lough

• regeneration of historic neighbourhoods - Felling 

Outcomes 

• growing our population - 2,000 new residents 

• maintaining the sustainability of our local centres and villages 

• redevelopment of vacant sites or unsustainable buildings 

Outputs 

• 1000 new homes 

• Over 250 affordable homes 

Gateshead Regeneration Partnership 

The council's joint venture with Vistry and Home Group will continue to deliver new affordable, family homes on Council owned sites.  

Sites in Birtley, Saltwell, High Spen and the town centre are currently being built, adding up to 430 new homes.  

In 2026, four sites totalling 400 homes will start building at Brandling in Felling, Elisabethville in Birtley, Dixon Street in Teams and on the former council house site in Beacon Lough. 

Felling town centre

Demolition of unsustainable accommodation is underway, and delivery of new, affordable homes is being planned around the revitalised local centre.

Timescales and milestones 

Short term 

• agree on the Strategic Place Partnership with NECA and Homes England

• programme of events to increase footfall in our local centres - Felling, Wrekenton, Low Fell, Whickham, Winlaton 

• Gateshead Regeneration Partnership start building new homes in Felling, Birtley, Beacon Lough 

Medium term 

• Gateshead Regeneration Partnership start building new homes in Chopwell  

• new homes in Felling  

• new council houses built in Whickham 

Gateshead's regeneration story is just beginning, and it's a story open to all who want to be a part of it.  

Investors, developers, residents, and businesses are invited to help write the next chapter, contributing to a place where innovation, culture, and opportunity come together to create a bright and dynamic future for everyone. 

 "Gateshead is where the future unfolds, a 25-year vision starting today" 

Contacts 

Anneliese Hutchinson  
Strategic Director  
[email protected] 

  
Andrew Sloan  
Head of Regeneration  
[email protected]  

 
Andrew Creighton  
Strategic Property Advisor  
[email protected]