Developers will transform a derelict path of land with 525 homes overlooking the River Tyne in Newcastle, after gaining planning permission for the multimillion-pound project.
Newcastle City Council’s planning committee gave a unanimous decision to approve Olympian Homes’ residential development, delivering the residential units in the Forth Goods Yard area, between the Redheugh and King Edward VII bridges.
London based Olympian Homes will create two “U” shaped blocks positioned side by side, looking south to maximise views from the apartments.
Block one, which will be sited on the western half of the site and will largely be seven to eight storeys high with a 12 storey tower element on the north-west corner, will accommodate 296 private rented sector (PRS) apartments. Block two, on the eastern side, will be five to eight storeys high with a taller element on the north-west corner, providing a further 229 apartments for either private sale or more PRS units.
Each block will have a private landscaped central courtyard area as well as an onsite residents’ gym, meeting rooms, secure cycle parking and 52 car parking spaces. A new public footpath will connect Pottery Lane to the north of the site and to the Quayside to the south.
The 2.2 hectare site, which is located south-west of Newcastle city centre, has been earmarked for redevelopment in the local plan as part of the wider Forth Yards area, which is seen as a vital regeneration site for the city.
Political leaders hope the run-down area’s overhaul could pave the way for up to 2,500 new homes and thousands of jobs.
North Yorkshire firm Newby also has £250m plans lodged with the council to turn the derelict Calders Leadworks yard near to the Utilita Arena into a 1,200-home urban village likened to an ‘Ouseburn of the west’.
James Lindridge, development director at Olympian Homes, said: “Olympian Homes are thrilled to be delivering 525 high quality residential units with added amenities, providing significant investment in Newcastle City Centre.
“The scheme has been a culmination of many months, working closely with Newcastle City Council to ensure that the regeneration of the site sits within the wider aspirations of Forth Yards Regeneration Plan.”
The approval is the culmination of two years’ work for planning consultants Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), who first submitted a pre-application enquiry with Newcastle City Council on behalf of the developers in late 2018.
Laura Dixon, senior planner at LSH, added: “The Pottery Lane west site has been redundant for a number of years so to achieve planning permission for a development that will completely transform this part of the city centre is a fantastic achievement.”
