Agenda item

To receive an update on the delivery of the Council’s ‘Ambition for North Tyneside’ as a framework for the regeneration of the borough in line with the then Our North Tyneside Plan.

Cabinet received an update report on the delivery of the Council’s ‘Ambition for North Tyneside’ which was agreed by Cabinet on the 26 November 2018 as a framework for the regeneration of the of the borough in line with the then Our North Tyneside Plan.

An Ambition for North Tyneside considered the borough as four areas namely:

·         The South West area around Wallsend, including the communities who lived in Howdon, Willington Quay, Hadrian Park, High Farm and Battle Hill;

·         The North West including Benton and Longbenton, Forest Hall and Killingworth, Dudley, Weetslade, Burradon, Camperdown and Fordley;

·         The North East area around Whitley Bay, including Monkseaton and Earsdon, Shiremoor, Backworth and West Allotment; and

·         The South East area around North Shields, including Cullercoats and Tynemouth, Chirton and Percy Main.

The Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s ambitions for the Borough were set out in the Our North Tyneside Plan.  Specific commitments had been made and were being met in terms of a thriving, family-friendly, caring, secure and green promises.

To deliver the ambition and pay for delivery, the Authority had allocated £2m per year for five years (2021-26) through its budget setting process.  This had enabled the Authority to use this as ‘match funding’ and attract external funding from the North of the Tyne Combined Authority, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Government and the private sector.

The report explained in more detail progress that had been made on the Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s ambitions for each part of the Borough. It sets out what had been achieved over the last 12 months, what was currently planned and what would happen next (subject to funding) and what the Authority would do if it could and when it could.

An update was last provided to the Cabinet in September 2020.  Since then, the Deputy Mayor and officers had been working closely with a range of partners to unlock potential and opportunity. In summary, the following had been delivered:

·         In North Shields the Authority acquired the former Co-op building and had prepared it for demolition.

·         The Authority also acquired and demolished the Unicorn House office building which would be brought forward for new family housing.

·         Work had commenced improving the public realm in Northumberland Square and on Howard Street.

·         Planning Applications had now been for a new transport hub in North Shields and a walkway between the Town Centre and Fish Quay.

·         Supported North Shields Fish Quay Development Company and the Port of Tyne to begin work to repair and extend the Protection Jetty.

·         In Whitley Bay the Authority continued work on the Northern Promenade with works around the Rendezvous Café.

·         In Wallsend the Authority had continued to work with the new owners of the Swan Hunter Site (Shepherd Offshore Limited) to bring the site forward for employment purposes.

·         The Authority had also completed the refurbishment of residential properties in Charlotte Street, Wallsend which had seen them brought forward for family housing following their acquisition from a private landlord.

In the next 12 months the Authority expected to deliver the following:

·    In North Shields the Authority would demolish the former Co-op building and would commence work on the new Transport Interchange and Civic Square.

·    The Authority would also commence work on the Embankment Walkway linking the town centre with the Fish Quay.

·    The Authority would have started to acquire third party property interests at the Tyne Brand Site on the Fish Quay which was identified for new housing.

·    Works to Howard Street and Northumberland Square would be completed in the summer breathing new life into the historic conservation area.

·     Work would commence on the development of new housing at the former Unicorn House site.

·    Improvement works would also commence on The Exchange building in North Shields as part of our plans to develop a cultural quarter

·    The Authority would also see private sector investment into 97 Howard Street and 131 Bedford Street which would be brought forward for cultural type activity following the decision to take these properties to market.

·    Works would also commence bring 11/12 Northumberland Square forward for new housing to complement the new housing delivered at 14-16 Northumberland Square completed in 2020.

·    At the coast the Authority would continue works to the Northern Promenade between the Rendezvous Café and the subject to funding, and in line with Our North Tyneside Plan, would install a permanent segregated cycleway at the coast.

·    The Authority would also prepare masterplans for Wallsend and Whitley Bay as well as our settlements in the North West of the borough.

Resolved that (1) the progress made in delivering the overall plan since November 2018, be noted;

(2) the projects planned to be delivered in 2022 and beyond, be noted; and 

(3) the ‘Ambition for North Tyneside’ continue to be monitored by the Investment Programme Board and progress reports regularly to Cabinet, be agreed.