City centre to get transformation

Newcastle City Council has announced plans to transform the city centre into a world-renowned shopping and leisure destination.

The council’s cabinet is set to approve a £3 million package of improvements to start the transformation programme.

This will lead to a more attractive cleaner, healthier and safer city centre to meet the needs of residents and visitors to Newcastle.

Northumberland Street and its side streets will be cleaned up, and will become clutter-free with more accessible spaces.

Plans are also in place to remove buses on a trial basis on Blackett Street to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists, and provide easier access to the wider shopping, leisure and cultural quarter.

Ged Bell, cabinet member for inclusive growth at Newcastle City Council, said: “Newcastle is a great city and one that never stands still. Our plans for the city centre set the scene for the type of place we want to be, and we need to be bold and ambitious for its future.

“As the regional capital of the North East, our vision for the city centre can only be realised by taking a long term and collaborative approach, working with partners to deliver lasting economic growth that everyone can benefit from. This puts people at the heart of our plans, and helps to make Newcastle a truly accessible city for all.”

Sean Bullick, NE1 Ltd, partners in the transformation, said: “There has been significant investment in other shopping and leisure areas in the city centre, including Intu’s Eldon Square and Grey’s Quarter, and by retailers including Fenwick. We are delighted to see progress being made on Pilgrim Street too.

“We now need to connect all those areas up by curating the city centre to increase footfall and dwell and to improve the relationship between the retail and the leisure offer. This initial investment and the interventions planned really up our game, and support our ambitions to become an international destination of choice.”

Arlene Ainsley, cabinet member for transport and air quality, said: “Newcastle is already a city that people can be proud of and we are looking to improve it even further. This plan will make our city centre better than ever.

“We have a massive opportunity to showcase our great city to audiences from across the globe next summer when the Great Exhibition of the North arrives in town. With over three million visitors expected to attend, now is the time to invest in tomorrow to present our city at its best.

“Our plans will help breathe new life into the city’s centre and drive further investment to help realise its full potential, boost the city’s economy and create employment opportunities for our residents.”