By Stephen Patterson, Chief Executive at NE1 Ltd
It was all going so well. The pre-Christmas season was in full swing. Newcastle buzzed with tens of thousands of festive visitors, footfall was up, and tills rang across the city. Everything was on track for a hugely successful period after a challenging year for many businesses, and there was growing optimism for the future as 2025 moved into view.
Then disaster struck with the Gateshead Flyover closure, and then the cessation of the Metro. The ensuing transport chaos changed everything.
Overnight, everyone south of the river was forced to reassess their journeys into Newcastle. Commuters, workers, and visitors were all affected and not for the first time. There was a strong sense of deja vu, as, for the second year running, transport into Newcastle was brought to a standstill, or at the very least a slow crawl, by what, in effect, were issues outside of the control of businesses at a crucial trading time for them.
In 2023, bus strikes caused serious issues. The flyover was this year’s transport nightmare, affecting both road and Metro traffic, with analysis suggesting there were 120,000 fewer journeys on the Metro than the same period the previous year.
The region has been crying out for infrastructure investment for years and has been studiously ignored by Central Government. This latest incident has fuelled a collective stand from the North East that we will no longer tolerate institutional neglect and underfunding. We have been passed over for investment for far too long, and it cannot continue.
Through consistent effort, resourcefulness, positivity and a proactive approach Newcastle is on the cusp of a fantastic period of transformational change. Building projects are reshaping the skyline, and events of national and international significance are planned for the coming months and years. This could mark a sustained period of success for the city. We cannot risk all of this work being jeopardised by the Governments continued failure to adequately fund infrastructure management, maintenance and development, let alone expansion.
We saw this with the Tyne Bridge, one of the most recognisable and iconic structures in the North East. Decades of chronic underinvestment meant the renovation project, when it eventually started, needed to be more extensive, and even then, securing the funding required a gargantuan effort and could still be in doubt. Similarly in Gateshead, the Council has been aware of the issues with the flyover for over 15 years. They have pitched for funding several times but have been turned down by the previous government, meaning proactive management or timely intervention has turned into reactive and urgent remedial action.
Meanwhile, bricks-and-mortar businesses, offices, and venues in both cities are left to pick up the pieces once again. Post-Covid and in the age of internet shopping, they have enough obstacles to overcome to attract customers. They work hard and creatively to tackle these issues, but no amount of creativity can contend with the absolute failure of infrastructure, which undermines the very basics of a functioning city and region.
To see the Mayor react and address this immediately alongside politicians from Gateshead was exactly the type of representation the region needs. To have one voice, representing an area wider than council boundaries and viewing the bigger picture, is invaluable. The action which was swiftly taken undoubtedly helped as the situation unfolded.
Now, with a new government in power and a regional Mayor who has already identified transport as a key priority, one hopes that the necessary funding will be forthcoming. The reality is, though, it should not have come to this. Sadly, following decades of underinvestment in the city’s infrastructure the Gateshead flyover is a case of chickens coming home to roost.
The Mayor has put her shoulder to the wheel, and businesses, residents, and politicians of all hues must step up and support her to ensure the region gets more than its fair share of infrastructure investment to come. We certainly stand ready to assist. We have witnessed first-hand the impact of failing to secure funds, and we simply cannot be at the back of the queue in the future.
The December launch of the Northumberland Line ably demonstrates the immediate benefits which can be delivered by investment in transport projects in the North East, with the new line greeted with enthusiasm and embraced by those in the areas it serves. Increasing connectivity is tremendously positive and opportunity abounds in every direction within the region.
With so much exciting work being championed in the city by energetic, ambitious, and talented people and businesses, we must not fall victim to a lack of ambition from Whitehall.
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