New homes, a hotel, and a leisure or entertainment venue could soon spring up on overgrown wasteland near Gateshead town centre.
Council chiefs are hoping to transform the derelict St Cuthbert’s clearance area off Askew Road.
Councillors agreed this week to earmark the vacant site for new development which could feature up to 190 new homes.
Gateshead Council’s planning committee also gave permission in principle for a new hotel or office block to be built on the site - as well as a potential ‘Assembly and Leisure’ venue.
That could pave the way for a developer to build a cinema, music venue, swimming pool, or gym if they wanted to.
A council report states that there is a “clear opportunity to enhance the area”, which has been left to become dense scrubland since previous housing on the land was demolished.
After councillors approved the principle of developing the site on Wednesday evening, a new planning application with full details of the regeneration must now be submitted within three years.
Any plans would be expected to include a “green infrastructure link” including improved pedestrian crossing facilities on Askew Road, linking through to Riverside Park.
The council is also planning to remove the existing footbridge across Askew Road and build a new signalised junction into the site.
The planning application states: “This will improve pedestrian connectivity to the town centre by providing a more direct route (as opposed to the existing footbridge).
“The junction will also allow vehicles to turn right out of the site (in a westerly direction) rather than left turn only. This will also benefit vehicles exiting the Network Rail signalling centre.
“Further benefits of vehicles not needing to turn left will be fewer vehicles entering the town centre and potentially reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality.”
The council added that any future development plans must ensure adequate compensation measures to address the loss of wildlife habitats on the land, which it is thought could be home to bats, birds, small mammals including hedgehogs, and butterflies.
