The sky's the limit

John Holmes, Director of Regeneration at One NorthEast waxes lyrical on the great potential for regeneration

An eco-village, business parks, swimming pool, creative quarters, site preparation, visions and ambitious regeneration schemes aimed at driving economic prosperity and inward investment are all currently on One NorthEast’s dynamic regeneration portfolio.

Beginning in County Durham, support and anticipation is growing for the Eastgate Renewable Energy Village – an eco-village on a former cement works site that will demonstrate best practice in sustainability and create at least 350 jobs. Four specialists are now preparing a planning application with an expected submission date of October.

One NorthEast’s board approved £3m to kick-start the creation of Tanfield Lea Business Centre, bringing 200 new jobs with it. Work will start on the £5.8m development later this year whose creation, it is anticipated, will act as a catalyst for private sector-led investment and developments on the estate.

A masterplan for Durham City Vision (DCV) has been launched following three years of public consultation setting out a vision for 2020 with long-term economic regeneration at its core. DCV is currently appointing a team to take the masterplan forward, which includes strategies for reshaping, illuminating and signing the city centre, entertainment, tourist and iconic development to make the most of the city’s many assets. Site acquisitions are proceeding following board appointments in March.

Durham Tees Valley Airport is continuing to expand with new flights and the way has also been cleared for plans to create a new business park, hotel and pub/restaurant.

In Tees Valley, the £14.2m Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) was successfully opened in January receiving high praise and exceeding visitor expectations.

Also in January the Board approved over £7m towards nearly £17m to kick start the creation of the nearby BoHo Zone – creative quarters which will create 27 businesses and 283 jobs. This exciting project complements the wider DigitalCity initiative, where work is underway on the Institute of Digital Innovation and the Centre for Creative Technologies – a £21m development at the University of Teesside.

DigitalCity complements mima and the ongoing redevelopment at Middlehaven – a mixed-use redevelopment of 100 hectares at Middlesbrough’s docks, which are ensuring that Tees Valley and North East England are at the heart of a creative and cultural renaissance.

With the recent news that Bio Regional Quintain has committed to develop at Middlehaven coupled with work starting on the new £70m Middlesbrough College, Middlehaven is making great strides.

Work is also progressing on Stockton’s riverside which will benefit from £18m public investment which could be worth £300m to the town’s economy. AMEC Developments and Urban Splash have signed a developer agreement to transform North Shore bringing more than 2,500 new jobs to the 56 acre site.

We are investing £2.3m in a wildlife visitor attraction in Saltholme, delivering a ground-breaking wildlife conservation project of national and international significance.

The decision has major implications for the region which will benefit from the transformation of former industrial land into an innovative new visitor attraction with nationwide tourism and education links, alongside a new internationally important wetland wildlife reserve. At least 23 new jobs will be created and visitors will bring an additional £1.4 million-a-year to the local economy.

One NorthEast is supporting the development of Central Park, Darlington, which involves an investment of around £170m and the creation of 2,000 jobs. A masterplan has being drawn up with outline planning permission approved and we will shortly be announcing a preferred private sector developer consortium for the 75-acre scheme which will improve the prospects for further private sector investment by redeveloping disused land.

Also in Darlington, Faverdale Business Park boasts Easter Developments building on site and Argos Ltd as occupiers, therefore continuing to attract high-quality investment from firms that may not otherwise have considered the area. In Hartlepool, Queen’s Meadow Business Park is making progress providing office space for those both from the region and relocating. It is estimated the 140-acre park could eventually create up to 1,500 jobs.

Planning consent has been granted for the long-term ambitious Victoria Harbour scheme on the prestigious Hartlepool waterfront site and will bring significant regeneration to the town - providing at least 2,500 jobs.

Moving to Northumberland, regeneration proposals for Blyth Town Centre and Quayside are underway with the demolition of semi-derelict buildings. It forms part of the overall plan to transform the town through a series of projects which will transform the Docks making the area an attractive option for inward investment.

Ashwood Business Park, near Ashington, was officially opened for business when a new sculpture ‘Far and Beyond’ took pride of place at the entrance of the £5m development illustrating the current renaissance of South East Northumberland.

Consultations on the future of Berwick upon Tweed have been high on the agenda with the masterplan for the Border town revealed. The vision will secure, over the next 20 years, an economic and social transformation to make it a competitive, distinctive and well-connected town that is enterprising, ambitious and inclusive.

February saw a milestone in Newcastle city centre when the demolition of one of the country’s ugliest buildings came to an end. For decades Westgate House stood at the heart of Grainger Town but after buying the site we spearheaded the project to remove the former office block. We’re at an advanced stage of negotiations with Centreland, owners of the adjacent Norwich Union House, to progress redevelopment of the site.

Across in Sunderland work on the £19.8m Aquatic Centre - the region’s first 50 metre pool – is progressing well. It incorporates a main pool, diving pool and wellness centre and will be the only one of its kind between Leeds and Edinburgh, providing much-needed facilities for Sunderland and the wider region.

Plans for Stadium Park – working with the city council and Sunderland AFC – present the opportunity for a major mixed-use gateway development, while Sunniside in the city is being transformed with high quality public areas and recently completed offices, homes and restaurants.

Work on the second phase of thePlace has begun with the demolition of a derelict hotel in Sunderland paving the way for a new £6.1m arts and business centre. thePlace is a £130m regeneration scheme, the first phase of which was completed last May, converting three derelict Georgian Grade II listed townhouses into modern offices.

What’s certain is that Tees Valley, Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland are all subject to continual development and regeneration projects which are helping to attract inward investment forming part of the positive and continuously positive outlook of North East England.