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Issue Date: 22nd September 2006
MORE CASH NEEDED FOR TYNESIDE REGENERATION PROGRAMME
Bridging NewcastleGateshead makes its case for sustained level of Government funding
By 2018, parts of NewcastleGateshead which have experienced severe population loss for more than 20 years will be revitalised, with a greater choice of quality homes to rent and buy attracting new residents to communities.
This vision for the future was revealed today by Bridging NewcastleGateshead (BNG) as the housing market renewal pathfinder launched its case for a sustained level of Government funding.
From Transition to Transformation is a report which highlights the achievements of the housing market renewal programme to date and outlines the way forward for the programme. It has been issued to senior ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ahead of 2007’s Comprehensive Spending Review.
The report, which has been written by the pioneers of housing market renewal Brendan Nevin and Philip Leather, has been published on behalf of the chairs of all nine housing market renewal pathfinders.
Jim Coulter, Chair of Bridging NewcastleGateshead explained that
"We are working to bring transformational change to communities and neighbourhoods in parts of NewcastleGateshead, improving housing quality and choice and creating great places to live for more people.
"We are already bringing positive change to communities such as North Benwell and Walker Riverside in Newcastle and Teams and Felling in Gateshead.
"But there is still a big job ahead of us if we want to bring long-lasting transformation and that is why we are calling on the Government to demonstrate their long-term commitment to housing market renewal and the work we are delivering in NewcastleGateshead."
With a sustained level of funding, the Bridging NewcastleGateshead area will benefit from enormous improvements. From the start of the programme in 2003 up to 2018 these will include:
• 12,000 sustainable new homes will have been built across the BNG area, with almost 7,000 of these facilitated by BNG
• More than 11,000 homes will have benefited from improvements, ensuring their long-term sustainability
• Neighbourhood satisfaction amongst residents in the BNG area will have increased to 85% from 70%
• Around 4,300 unpopular and unsustainable properties will have been cleared, with residents receiving assistance to find a new home.
Neighbourhoods within the BNG area will be renewed and enhanced, for example:
• The West End will be regenerated into a diverse and coherent community offering urban living with a suburban feel.
• Walker Riverside will have become a destination of choice for existing households and new residents by increasing the range and diversity of housing tenure, type and size with over 2,000 new homes built.
• The heritage of Bensham and Saltwell and Byker will have been enhanced and the artists’ quarter in Ouseburn expanded.
• In Teams, a contemporary neighbourhood of housing and commercial property will link the waterfront and Teams.
• Many more people will enjoy views over the River Tyne from their homes.
The work of Bridging NewcastleGateshead is supported by both Newcastle and Gateshead councils.
Councillor John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: "We want more people to live in Newcastle. Bridging NewcastleGateshead’s support, as a key partner, has been very important in helping us to lay the foundations for this change, supporting not only the exciting transformation of residential areas, but also the potential to create new communities.
"As it will take time to bring about full transformation, the city would certainly benefit from Bridging NewcastleGateshead being able to look ahead and give a longer-term commitment to supporting our regeneration plans. Therefore we would welcome housing market renewal pathfinders being put on a more secure footing."
Councillor Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: "Pathfinder is giving us a massive opportunity to invest in our local communities - and on a scale that most local councils can only dream of.
"Gateshead already has an international reputation for urban regeneration but regenerating our local communities was always going to be a bigger challenge because investment is much more difficult to secure. Pathfinder is helping us to overcome those difficulties and its giving us the chance to make a real difference to people's lives.
"Putting local residents at the centre of the whole process is definitely the key to its success, and its no surprise that there has been overwhelming support for the regeneration plans which we are now pursuing."
Bridging NewcastleGateshead has been in existence since 2003 and is a strategic partnership between Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council and other public and private organisations.