As the end of NE1's Bigg Market project moves into view, it's an opportune time to look back and remember that NE1 has always had ambitious plans and a clear vision for the Bigg Market area. We recognised that investment in the public realm would help catalyse private sector investment and change the area's fortunes.
The transformative results of this vision are now evident for all to see. And, as we always believed, the effort and focus on the area has catalysed further investment of in excess of £13m from the private sector, creating over 350 new jobs along the way and attracting a whole host of new businesses to the Bigg Market, another two newcomers in the last six months alone. The project is even used as an exemplar for other UK cities by the Government’s High Street Task Force.
We were confident that preserving, enhancing, and celebrating the Bigg Market’s status as a heritage asset would ensure that it contributed to the future economic prosperity of the city. The Bigg Market contains 14 listed buildings and is the historic heart of Newcastle, close to the Castle Keep, Newcastle Cathedral and Newcastle Central Station. Its regeneration has also dovetailed with other National Lottery Heritage Fund projects in Newcastle at The Common Room and at the Cathedral which together have reinforced Newcastle’s heritage offer. Led by NE1, the project has had funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Newcastle City Council.
We first started thinking about the project some eight years ago in response to calls from resident businesses to help improve an area caught in a spiral of decline and, whilst there was doubtless scepticism in some quarters, there was a huge groundswell of positive support for the proposals.
The Bigg Market has been high on NE1’s agenda since the Business Improvement District Company was elected for its second term in 2013. In 2016, we secured the NLHF grant and garnered support from Newcastle City Council and from local businesses to help bring our plans to fruition. The work behind the scenes, at development stage took almost five years, with the delivery phase, over the last three years, seeing the most dramatic transformation of the area and now as we near the end of the project, it is amazing to look back on all that has been delivered. We are extremely proud of our achievements, not least our ability to successfully sell the vision to others, because it is with their help and investment that we have collectively contributed to the area’s regeneration, and we are now seeing the fruits of our labour.
The first phase of the Bigg Market regeneration was the redevelopment of the public realm and the creation of the tiered-terraces, high quality street furniture, additional trees and improved lighting. The new space enabled hospitality venues to create new pavement cafes and restaurants, with 6 now operational compared to the one solitary licence that existed at the start of the project. A major goal of this project was to demonstrate that the area could be a viable daytime destination as well as a night-time one and outdoor dining has reinforced that. This part of the project was delivered as a partnership between NE1 and Newcastle City Council and was completed on time, to budget and when complete won the Lord Mayors Design Award for Landscape in 2019. The work transformed the look and feel of the area and created flexible spaces and the right conditions for quality street events and markets as well as workable outdoor areas for businesses. NE1 hosted a series of regular street food events and two events to celebrate the area’s history as a vibrant marketplace but the space really came into its own during the Covid crisis with many businesses using their outdoor pavement cafes and dining areas to trade through the various levels of restrictions.
Once the public realm work was underway and businesses could see the start of the transformation, work began on the shop front and façade restorations. Arguably the most significant and ambitious transformation was that of the subterranean Victorian WC’s which, following a complete restoration, now operates as a wine bar in one of the most unique locations in the city. Since 2018 there have been another seven restoration projects with a further four currently undergoing work on site. Other major regeneration work is still proposed within the area with pipelined projects including the Malhotra Group’s proposed hotel development and the redevelopment of Thomson House, the former home of the Chronicle and Journal newspapers.
Because the history and heritage of the area is at the heart of its redevelopment, it was essential to find ways to celebrate it – that’s why we commissioned Northern Stars to create a documentary film, ‘A People’s History of the Bigg Market’. The film is still available to view at ne1biggmarket.co.uk and provides a wonderful insight into people’s memories of the area.
Another hugely important part of the project has been an activity and learning programme to raise awareness about the area, its history and heritage and the Bigg Market’s future. To date the programme has involved both of the city’s Universities, Newcastle College and numerous local schools.
The NLHF Bigg Market project will end following the completion of the four buildings currently underway, but it is vital that the positive momentum does not simply fizzle out and there is still plenty of work to be done to ensure the area does not again fall into a spiral of decline. There are opportunities aplenty and there remains a wealth of under-utilised space, especially within the upper floors of buildings. NE1’s intervention was always intended as a catalyst for a programme of improvement and whilst we will endeavour to sustain this beyond the life of the project, it is vital that other stakeholders now play their part.
The future challenge for the Bigg Market and the city will be the management and maintenance of the space as NE1 shifts its focus to other areas of the city.
