While the city has been preparing to reopen, work has been happening behind the scenes to use the hiatus and the opportunity created to lay the foundations for the transformation of Newcastle city centre.
Even before COVID-19, we knew we had a job to do transforming the city centre. Changes in shopping habits and the growth of online retail were a juggernaut that couldn’t be stopped and Newcastle, like other major cities, has had to adapt to survive. New life and people are what’s needed to revitalise the city centre, but transformational change cannot happen without significant collaboration and investment. Thankfully well before SARS-CoV-2 had been identified and named, Newcastle City Council, with NE1, had recognised the scale of the problem facing the city centre and had started working on its 10-year vision for the city. In partnership with businesses and with the city’s universities there has been a collaborative and concerted effort to map out what’s needed to ensure Newcastle retains its position as a major regional capital city, with the result that Newcastle is ahead of the game. As we emerge from lockdown, an exciting future awaits. The council has unveiled all that is planned and in the pipeline in its city centre transformation programme; seeking to include the public in its plans. Public consultation will begin in earnest and people are being encouraged to have their say. To deliver this transformational change, the council has successfully bid for central Government funds, amassing £20 million towards a £50 million vision. Securing this level of upfront funding was down to having an existing ‘oven-ready’ project and a team already working collaboratively ready to deliver it. This gives Newcastle a huge advantage over other cities. Central to the plan to future-proof the city is a massive upgrade of the city centre starting with its retail core, opening up space for people and improving the environment. Supporting the wellbeing of people and communities as well as driving innovation and job creation are all central to the vision. Not since the 1980s, when Northumberland Street was pedestrianised, has such large scale change been planned for the city centre, this time support funded by three central Government funding streams with £20 million from the Get Building Fund, the Transforming Cities Fund and the Active Travel Fund collectively. The council has done well to secure the money, success driven in part by being able to demonstrate strong partnerships with businesses and stakeholders and its clear and ambitious plans for the future development of the city. At the heart of these plans is the creation of different zones across the city, each with its own distinct character, all able to contribute and play a particular role. The pedestrianisation of Blackett Street, a long awaited permanent change will be the starting pistol signalling that change is now happening. The timing could not be better. The money has landed just as the city needs to invest in its public spaces. It is crucial that attention and investment is channelled into our public realm – the spaces between buildings – in order to allow businesses to trade outdoors, a trend that is particularly pertinent for hospitality, and flexibility for events and other activity. We need to capitalise on what we have, ensuring that the heart of the city is a much more attractive and appealing place, better for families and with more activities that draw people in and make them want to stay. Construction to deliver this transformation will start as early as August this year continuing until next summer and beyond. The Public is being asked for its thoughts on the whole scheme and we are also urging businesses to take an active role in the consultation to ensure that they have their say and play their part in reshaping the city. We need businesses to be outspoken, if they like what they see, or if they foresee operational challenges we need them to be vocal, it is crucial that we get this right. We need to ensure that Newcastle is fit for this century and beyond. The plans for the city are bold and ambitious and necessary. They start to tackle areas that have been crying out for change for a long time. With funding now in place, we can all get excited as these plans unfold.
