Gateshead council has received a planning application for several temporary shipping containers in an “informal car park” adjacent the Dunston Excelsior Club, near the Dunston Staiths.
The shipping containers will remain at the site, if the application is approved, for three years and will offer office, retail, and storage space as well as toilet facilities. The applicant, Tyne and Wear Preservation Trust put the application forward with EDable Architecture.
The proposed benefits of the application include supporting the local economy and regeneration. The commercial aspect of the proposal will fund the Straits Restoration Project.
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The site could provide up to 22 marked car parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points. The site will encompass approximately 1012 square metres.
The application has drawn inspiration from similar projects in the region like the former Stack Newcastle on Pilgrim Street. The application also states one of the benefits of the plan is the mobility and compact nature of the potential development.
Residents have expressed mixed feelings about the project on Facebook. Some have expressed positive sentiments about the project as an example of regeneration of the area.
However, some have decried it as a waste of money and the feelings and views of residents and business owners have not been taken into consideration.
At the time of writing there has been no date confirmed for a council hearing on the proposal.
Tyne and Wear Preservation Trust is a non-profit organisation that manages buildings of historic interest across the North East. Such buildings include The Old Low Lights in North Shields, the Jesmond Dene banqueting hall, and the John Marley Centre in Newcastle.
The Dunston Straiths were subject to an arson attack in 2019 resulting in serious structural damage. A campaign was founded to raise money for repairs. £8,000 was eventually raised and spent by the Staith Friends to repair the damage and improve security measures to deter vandals and trespassers.
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