NewcastleGateshead Urban Core
Movement and Place Framework
(An evidence base document to support the NewcastleGateshead Urban Core Area Action Plan)
Contents
section one
Introduction
5
section three
The Movement 39
section five
Sub Areas & Key Projects
59
1.1
This Study
3.1
Movement Analysis
5.1
Identifying the Sub Areas
1.2
Purpose of the Movement and Place Framework
3.2
Lynch Analysis
5.2
Civic Quarter Sub Area Analysis
1.3
The Urban Core Area Action Plan
3.3
Mental Mapping
5.3
Newcastle Central Sub Area Analysis
3.4
A Walkable City
5.4
Discovery Quarter Sub Area Analysis
3.5
Movement and Transport Principles
5.5
Ouseburn Sub Area Analysis
5.6
Newcastle Quayside Baltic Riverside Sub Area Analysis
5.7
Gateshead Centre Sub Area Analysis
5.8
Southern Gateway Sub Area Analysis
1.4 The Vision and Objectives
1.5 The Study Area
section two
The Place
11
2.1
The influence of the Tyne Gorge
2.2
Urban Form
2.3
Listed Buildings, Locally Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Scheduled Ancient Monuments
2.4
Landmarks and Arrival Points
2.5
Land Use
2.6
Public Realm
2.7
Green Space and Play Space
2.8
Wildlife and Ecology
2.9
Place Making Principles
section four
4.1
Key Issues
Matters for Consideration
55
section six
6.1
Conclusion
79
Summary
“The maps included in this document are based upon Ordnance
Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of
the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to
prosecution or civil proceedings. City Council, 100019569, 2010”
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
3
section one
Introduction
section one
Introduction
1.1 This Study
This Joint Urban Core Movement and Place Framework has been
undertaken to examine the extent of the existing and future transport,
movement, and place-making challenges facing the Urban Core of
NewcastleGateshead. It also identifies the need for further policy and
design guidance to ensure the Urban Core grows sympathetically,
making significant design improvements to the built environment, it’s
public realm and improving connectivity.
1.2 Purpose of the Movement and Place Framework
This framework joins together the outputs from existing studies and
masterplans within the Urban Core. It looks at the transport and urban
design challenges facing the Urban Core and identifies some of the
interventions to ensure that it develops into a dynamic, competitive
regional capital.
This framework is driven by the ambition to make positive changes. It
sets out the place (section two) and movement (section three) context,
and identifies the principles for future interventions. It summarises the
matters for consideration (section four) and looks more in depth at
the Urban Core through it’s sub areas (section five). It will identify
projects and interventions that could potentially be delivered through
the Urban Core Area Action Plan.
1.3 The Urban Core Area Action Plan
The Urban Core Area Action Plan hereafter referred to, as ‘the Plan’
will form part of the Local Development Framework (LDF), which will
replace both Newcastle’s and Gateshead’s Unitary Development
Plans’ under the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase
Act 2004. The Plan will eventually replace the saved policies contained
in the Unitary Development Plans and will be a key component of
the LDF. It will set the vision and policies for the future of the Urban
Core over the next twenty years and will provide a strategic policy
framework that will shape development to achieve this vision. Within
the context of national and regional policy it will address a range
of social, environmental and economic considerations in order to
address the challenges and opportunities facing the area. It will guide
the aspirations of not only Newcastle and Gateshead but also of other
service providers and stakeholders.
The Plan will be subject to a public examination at the end of the
process, part of which involves the application of tests of ‘soundness’.
The Plan must be founded on a robust and credible evidence base
and the first stage in the preparation of the Plan is to ensure there is
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
sufficient evidence and background information for our policies to By 2030 the Urban Core will continue to be the economic hub of
be developed and this document. This framework will form a key the North East, fulfilling its role as the leading retail, entertainment,
component of this evidence base.
employment and learning centre for Tyne & Wear. It will be an attractive
place to live and visit and a place where businesses choose to locate,
A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is mandatory for emerging LDF with a wide array of investment opportunities and an emphasis on
documents. The purpose of the SA is to help Councils ensure that ensuring that everyone shares in the benefits of economic growth. To
the developing plans contribute to the achievement of sustainable sustain growth, and fundamental to achieving economic prosperity,
development and the Urban Core Movement and Place Framework there will be an appropriate range, mix and quality of employment
will be taken into consideration in the SA process.
sites. The Plan identifies the following objectives:
1.4 The Vision and Objectives
• Improve our economic performance whilst focussing on
improvements to the supply of a range of quality office
accommodation;
The Plan responds to local people’s needs and ambitions. The aligned
priorities and shared vision of the Local Strategic Partnerships’
(LSP) Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS) for both Newcastle • To expand our tourism, leisure and cultural economy, building on
our success as a leading cultural destination, whilst diversifying
(Newcastle 2030: Taking the City Forward) and Gateshead (Vision
our evening economy and helping to improve our health and well
2030) are contained in the “Bridging NewcastleGateshead 2030”
being;
document. The Bridging document vision is that:
By 2030 Gateshead and Newcastle will be prosperous and sustainable
cities that are unique and distinctive places - where people choose to
live, work and visit because everyone can realise their full potential
and enjoy a high quality lifestyle.
There are four main themes to deliver this vision:
• Provide a larger, better quality and more diverse retail offer in
Newcastle City Centre whilst enhancing complementary retail
provision in Gateshead Town Centre;
• Develop new urban neighbourhoods in appropriate locations to
support urban living, an expanding population with the services
they require;
• Economic Prosperity – creating a flourishing economy driven by
science, creativity and innovation and a place recognised for and • Attract and retain a skilled workforce by providing the right housing
and social infrastructure mix to serve their needs;
characterised by a highly skilled working population;
• Health and Wellbeing – creating a place with high rates of • Improve walkability and streets for pedestrians and cyclists whilst
improving access and links for people and goods;
emotional and physical wellbeing, delivered through encouraging
and promoting healthy lifestyle and reducing inequalities;
• Improve the management and design of our built environment to
promote a positive sense of place and identity;
• Home and Thriving Communities – creating a place where people
choose to live that offers a range of quality of housing set in safe,
attractive communities with good access to employment, education
and health care;
• Sustainable Quality of Place – Creating a place that maximises
the potential of its landmarks, environment, riverscape, townscape
heritage and culture.
From this our spatial vision has been derived for the Urban Core.
• Establish safe and attractive streets for all through the mix and
design of development;
• Address the challenges of climate through mitigation and adaptation
and embrace opportunities.
Through the identification of issues facing the Urban Core and
potential interventions, the Movement and Place Framework can help
to determine how the Plan can meet the above vision and objectives.
7
section one
Introduction
Figure 1.1: Study Area
1.5 The Study Area
NewcastleGateshead Urban Core is a European Regional Capital
and is the North East’s regional centre. It acts as the single largest
economic driver in the region and is consequently the major source
of employment in the region. The Urban Core is highly acclaimed
as a popular city break destination and has also been voted as one
of the world’s top party cities. Its area measures approximately 670
hectares and straddles the River Tyne. It enjoys a high quality urban
environment including a legacy of important historic buildings, areas
of significant townscape importance and local distinctiveness.
Over the last decade or so, a number of key regeneration projects have
been delivered throughout the Urban Core such as the redevelopment
of the Quayside, including BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Trinity
Gardens, Gateshead Millennium Bridge and The Sage Gateshead.
Figure 1.1 shows the Urban Core Area Action Plan boundary. This
boundary has been extended to include the Ouseburn, an area that
acts as a transition zone between Newcastle City Centre and Byker
to the east. The map also highlights the Key Development Sites as
these are expected to be the main areas of focus for regeneration
within the next twenty years.
Key
Urban Core Boundary
Railway Line
Metro line
Existing Building
Major Highway
Green space
River Tyne
Key Development Sites
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8
Figure 1.2: Study Area
section two
The Place
section two
The Place
Figure 2.1: Topography
2.1 The Influence of the Tyne Gorge
The physical structure of the landscape has had a strong influence on
patterns of human occupation and activity around the Tyne Gorge. The
influence of human activity, in turn, makes a major contribution to the
character of the landscape. Figure 2.1 illustrates the topography of the
Urban Core with figure 2.2 illustrating the cross sections highlighted
The predominant and defining topographical feature of the Urban
Core is the Tyne Gorge, and the River Tyne which runs through it.
This has provided a focus for development and industry throughout
the centuries. The cliffs of the Gorge result in steep, characteristic
streets such as Dean Street and Bottle Bank, which rise up from the
river into the heart of the historic cores of Newcastle and Gateshead.
Landmarks, such as the Castle Keep stand on the ridge of the Gorge.
Associated with the Tyne are the tributaries that run into it; the Lort
Burn (now culverted), created a natural sheltered harbour, ideal for
trade, where it met the river at what is now Sandhill on the Quayside.
C-C
B-B
The development of Newcastle and Gateshead has centred around
the River Tyne and the steep Gorge. The River Tyne is both a link and
a physical barrier between the two urban cores. The Tyne Gorge has
influenced development form and pattern, from Roman crossings, to
Norman Castles, to medieval ports and industry spilling along the river
front with housing moving upwards, to later, Georgian and Victorian
development spreading out from the Tyne Gorge. The later Georgian
and Victorian developments are typically distant from the River Tyne
and its associated industry, reflecting wealth, and the desire for larger
buildings in wider, clean streets.
A-A
Medieval development exploited the value of the river for trade, the
medieval port of Newcastle being the largest east coast port close
to Scotland and which had strong links to Baltic ports. Trading at
this time led to the area becoming one of the richest in the country.
During the Industrial Revolution, the river, and its tributaries such as
the Ouseburn, was once again exploited for power and trade. Noncompeting industrial developments spread along both sides of the
river. This historical development is still evident on both sides of the
Tyne Gorge.
C-C
B-B
A-A
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The bridges across the River Tyne, and later, the River Ouseburn,
are essential to movement and trade. Those crossing the Tyne have
become physical landmarks and a cultural signature for the region.
Views west of the four principal bridges (Millennium, Tyne, Swing, and
High Level) have become iconic. Each bridge reflects a period of key
period of development or movement, such as the High Level Bridge
and the Millennium Bridge.
12
Figure 2.2: Tyne Gorge Cross Sections
Section A-A
St Cuthberts Court
King Edward Bridge
Centre for Life
Greys Monument
Section B-B
St Marys Court
Tesco
Tyne Bridge
Cale Cross House
Theatre Royal
Sandgate House
Section C-C
Abbot Court
Holiday Inn
Davy Roll Company
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
Gateshead College
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Quay Point
Eldon Square
King Charles Tower,
Pandon Court and
Lort House
13
section two
The Place
View of Victorian Newcastle and Gateshead by John Storey
14
Figure 2.3: The Evolution of Newcastle’s Urban Form
2.2 Urban Form
The development and current form of Newcastle and Gateshead’s
Urban Core (figure 2.3) perfectly illustrates the interrelationship of
humans and the landscape. The natural landscape of the Tyne Gorge
and the River Tyne have shaped the development of the urban form
since prehistoric times. Remnants of each key period of development
are clearly visible within the present day landscape, ensuring that
Newcastle and Gateshead are firmly rooted in history, and that this
history has positively influenced the character and sense of place.
Newcastle and Gateshead have continued to develop and evolve
since Roman times. Pons Aelius, a Roman bridgehead and part of the
Hadrian’s Wall complex was the earliest known river crossing, and of
regional significance. Fragments of development from the Romans
through to the medieval period still survive, in the most part these
relate to Hadrian’s Wall, The Castle Keep and Town Walls.
1610 Speed’s Map
1770 Hutton’s Map
The medieval expansion centred on the port, and was shaped by the
various burns running into it the Tyne, the position of the Castle Keep,
and the steep topography. The street layout is still evident, and in
Newcastle, pockets of townscape retain reference to the medieval
grain in the plot size and layout, and scale and massing of buildings.
This was followed by the Industrial Revolution where heavy industry
developed on both sides of the River Tyne, and along the network
of tributary rivers. Gateshead’s historic core is heavily influenced by
its role in the development of rail and railways, both physically in the
landscape, and in the decline that followed.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the urban core continued to
expand. The focus in Gateshead moved to outer lying areas with grand
estates, planned landscapes and industrial developments. Newcastle
focused on expansion outside the town walls and the commercial
development of the historic core. Key developments include the 1780
planning town improvement scheme, and the 1830’s transformation
by Richard Grainger, creating a grand, Georgian city compared
favourably to London.
1849 Oliver’s Map
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
1940 OS Map
The decline of heavy industry in the 20th century resulted in an overall
deterioration of the condition of the urban landscape. The impact
of post war transport, retail/commercial and education planning
are clearly visible and have had significant impacts on the urban
landscape. Today, the quality of the landscape varies considerably
across the urban core. The historic core of Newcastle, Grainger
Town, has been sensitively restored and contributes to a vibrant and
attractive city centre. Other areas, such as Gateshead Town Centre
and the Ouseburn are not as successful.
15
section two
The Place
Figure 2.4: Listed Buildings, Locally Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Scheduled Ancient Monuments
2.3 Listed Buildings, Locally Listed Buildings,
Conservation Areas and Scheduled Ancient
Monuments
Within the Urban Core there are a number of designated heritage
assets. Figure 2.4 illustrates Listed Buildings, locally Listed Buildings,
Conservation Areas and Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
Listed Building constitutes a building or structure which is considered to
be of ‘special architectural or historic interest’ and included on a statutory
list compiled by English Heritage. The Local List is a list of buildings,
structures, parks, gardens and open spaces that are considered
by the public and the Council to have special local architectural or
historic interest. They are considered to be of significance to the local
community and to contribute to the environmental, social and cultural
heritage of the Urban Core.
A Conservation Area is an ‘area of special architectural or historic
interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to
preserve or enhance’ Section 69 Civic Amenities Act 1967. There are
seven designated Conservation Areas which cover a large part of the
Urban Core: Central; Framlington Place; Summerhill; Leazes; Lower
Ouseburn Valley; Bridges; Walker Terrace / Regent Terrace.
Scheduled Ancient Monuments are structures of special historic
interest or significance, and range from earthworks to ruins to buried
remains. Many are scheduled as nationally important archaeological
sites.
Key
Listed Buildings
Locally Listed Building or Site
Scheduled Ancient Monument
Conservation Area
Green space
River
Key Development Sites
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16
Figure 2.5: Listed Buildings and Scheduled Ancient Monuments
Castle Keep - Grade I listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Blackfriars - Grade I listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
This is one of the finest Norman stone keeps surviving in Britain today Constructed in 1250 this is one of Newcastle’s oldest surviving
and is the remaining part of the ‘New Castle’.
buildings.
The Black Gate - Grade I listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Built during the reign of King Henry III, this was the last major addition
to the Castle defences.
Tyne Bridge - Grade II listed structure.
Opened in 1928 by King George V. Designed by Mott, Hay and
Anderson, the emblem of Tyneside.
High Level Bridge - Grade I listed structure.
Opened in 1849 by Queen Victoria. Designed by Robert Stephenson
as the world’s first dual-decked rail and road bridge.
Swing Bridge - Grade II* listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Designed by Sir W.G. Armstrong & Co. Ltd, opened in June 1876.
Originally powered by 2 hydraulic engines driven by steam pumps.
Old Town Hall - Grade ll listed building.
St. Edmund’s Chapel - Grade ll listed Church.
Built in 1868-70 by John Johnstone. This is Gateshead’s finest Dating from the early 13th Century this church was extended by John
Victorian Civic Buiding.
Dobson in 1837 and is one of Gateshead’s oldest surviving buildings.
St. Mary’s Church - Grade l listed Church.
Built in the 14th Century this church survived the great fire of 1854
and was fully restored in 2007.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
17
section two
The Place
Figure 2.6: Landmarks and Arrival Points
2.4 Landmarks and Arrival Points
Central urban areas need to have a strong sense of arrival and a
strong sense of place to aid navigation and orientation. One method
for achieving this is by making use of ‘landmarks’ within the townscape.
There are many definitions of the term landmark, but generally
it is an object (usually a building or structure) that stands out from
its background by virtue of height, size or because of it’s unique,
distinctive form or style. Landmarks help to navigate and orientate
people, making it easier for them to find their way around. It is for this
reason that landmarks should be striking and easily recognisable.
The landmarks and arrival points map (figure 2.6) illustrates the
distribution of landmarks throughout the urban core relative to the
main arrival and departure points by Metro, rail and vehicle. Many of
Newcastle’s landmarks are listed and have a positive impact on the
city. However there are a few such as Bewick Court which have a
negative impact.
The bridges that span the River Tyne are the strongest and most
recognisable landmarks within the core area.
In Gateshead, few of the landmark buildings are listed, and many of
them are of low quality. However, there are some positive landmarks
that function well such as the former St. Mary’s Church, BALTIC, The
Sage Gateshead, and the Old Town Hall and Library. However, many
of Gateshead’s landmark buildings date form the second half of the
Twentieth Century and are not positive. ‘Tyne Bridge Tower’ Office
Block overshadows the former St. Mary’s Church, it is empty and
unattractive, and fails as a welcoming gateway or landmark. Across
the southern half of the Urban Core tall residential blocks form a
loose ring around Gateshead’s town centre which do help to define it.
However these landmarks are typical buildings of their time that suffer
from the stigma attached to low quality, high rise 1960’s tower blocks.
Key
XX
Arrival Point (M: metro R: rail, V: vehicular)
Landmark
Green space
River
Key Development Sites
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18
Figure 2.7: Landmark
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
19
section two
The Place
Figure 2.8: Arrival Point Photoboard
• Barras Bridge benefits from a series of landmarks to mark the V7
• This junction offers an arrival point from the north eastern approach
•
Scotswood Road arrives at the city centre here as do vehicles from V4
V1
arrival into Newcastle City Centre - the Civic Centre, Great North
into Gateshead Centre, however, aside from Gateshead College,
the south crossing the river via Redheugh Bridge. This is a weak
it currently lacks definition from good quality buildings.
Museum, Newcastle University and Haymarket Hub metro station.
arrival point.
• Westgate Road arrives at the city centre here. Nexus house offers
a landmark here but the gap sites to the south and west weaken
this.
V2
•
The Central Motorway and New Bridge Street access the city centre
V5
here and despite the development of Northumbria Universities
campus east building this is a weak arrival point.
•
This arrival point loses the impact gained from crossing the Tyne
V8
Bridge. As a gateway the roads dominate the space. It lacks
enclosure, definition, and clarity, creating a weak sense of arrival.
•
Barrack Road arrives at the city centre here. St James Park offers • Cale Cross House and Swan House are the landmarks that denote • A weak arrival point to Gateshead Centre from the West. Lacking in
V3
V6
V9
a strong landmark that would be strengthened by the development
definition, it is dominated by highways and low quality open space,
arrival in the city at this point from the Central Motorway and across
of the gap site at St James Metro station..
the Tyne Bridge which is itself an important arrival point.
leading to leaked, unattractive, traffic dominated views.
20
• This is the main arrival point by rail from the south crossing the M1
• The approach from Bensham Road terminates with a heavily R1
• The arrival point to the northern part of the central core retail area
River Tyne. It offers great views of the Urban Core particularly of
landscaped area and large roundabout. It is anti-pedestrian and
and serves the two universities and the civic centre. Movement
the Newcastle Quayside and Baltic Riverside.
lacks enclosure and definition from good quality built urban form.
from this across St Mary’s Place and Barras Bridge poor.
V10
• The highway and it’s ‘left-over’ verge spaces dominate this arrival R2
• This is the main arrival point by rail from the north. The Black Gate, M2
• Feeds the heart of the central retail core, however suffers from
point from the south. Most buildings are low quality and are set
Cathedral spire and Castle Keep strongly mark this point.
poor signage and clear direction.
well back, creating a weak built frontage and poor sense of arrival.
V11
• Arriving from the south east, Gateshead is dominated by it’s R3
• Gateshead Interchange is one of the busiest in the north east
• The frontage of Central Station does not offer clear direction or M3
highway, flyover & gyratory, making it traffic dominated. Built form
region. However it presents a point of entry into the town centre
orientation for the visitor although the station itself is a strong
is back-facing and low quality, making the area negative and weak.
that is highway and traffic dominated and very anti-pedestrian.
landmark.
V12
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
21
section two
The Place
Figure 2.9: 360° View from Grey’s Monument of Landmark Buildings
The Sage Gateshead
St Nicholas Cathedral
All Saints Church
Bewick Court
Northumbria University
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Hilton Hotel
Civic Centre
City Library & The Laing Art Gallery
55 Degrees North
Cale Cross House Theatre Royale
22
St Mary’s Cathedral
St James Park
St Thomas Church
Grainger Market
Monument Mall
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
23
section two
The Place
Figure 2.10: Land Use - Residential
2.5 Land Use
2.5.1Residential
Within the Urban Core the majority of housing stock is made up of
apartments and flats on upper floors. There is a concentration of more traditional family housing to the south west of the Urban Core.
Provision of student accommodation is increasing and there are
existing concentrations in the north and north east of the Urban Core.
There is a significant residential gap in the primary retail cores.
The Government’s drive to provide better quality housing, more
sustainable communities, and accommodate new housing growth
has encouraged the incorporation of housing within mixed use
developments in the city centre. Housing helps to promote vitality and
viability, especially in the evening time. Consultation has highlighted
that a mix of house types and tenures is necessary for the urban
core and this would help to create a more sustainable community.
Affordable housing, to buy and rent, duplex-style family housing, flats,
key worker accommodation, student accommodation and sheltered
housing schemes were all suggested as appropriate types of housing
for the Urban Core. However, the Urban Core is currently considered
unattractive for families as it lacks the infrastructure to support them.
Key
Homes
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24
Figure 2.11: Land Use - Non Residential
2.5.2Non Residential
Non residential land use in the Urban Core is multi-layered with many
areas and buildings containing several different uses. Figure 2.11
illustrates the wide range of uses across the study area and shows
a concentration of retail uses in the core of both Newcastle and
Gateshead, and educational institutions in the north. Aside from these
two areas, uses are well mixed throughout the Urban Core. The map
also clearly illustrates, from the large areas of vacant land it has, the
redevelopment opportunities available within the Urban Core.
The maps on the following pages (figures 2.12 - 2.15) illustrate the
distribution of education and enterprise uses; retail and services;
industry and opportunity sites; and tourism and entertainment uses
within the urban core.
Key
Education and Enterprise
Institutions
Businesses
Retail and Services
Retail
Services
Industry and Opportunities
General Industry
Storage or Distribution
Vacant
Tourism and Entertainment
Drinking establishments
Assembly and Leisure
Restaurants and Cafe’s
Take Aways
Hotels
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25
section two
The Place
Figure 2.12: Education and Enterprise
2.5.3Education and Enterprise
The economy reflects NewcastleGateshead’s role as one of the
country’s core cities, and is unique within the North East. It is centred
on the regional role for providing higher order services, especially
in professional services, public administration, higher and further
education and research establishments which are internationally
recognised.
Educational institutions are mainly concentrated to the north of the Urban
Core with Newcastle and Northumbria Universities. Complementing
these are Newcastle college to the west and Gateshead college to the
east, all of which are closely linked to new areas of growth.
There is potential to improve the quality of routes to all educational
establishments, particularly Newcastle and Gateshead colleges which
are segregated by major highways from the core of the Urban Core.
Business uses cover a large area of the Urban Core gravitating to the
centre with a particular concentration south of Newcastle’s retail core
and in the Baltic Business Quarter. There are opportunities to expand
business use across the urban core in locations such as the Baltic
Business Quarter (South East) and Science Central (West).
Key
Institutions
Businesses
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26
Figure 2.13: Retail and Services
2.5.4Retail and Services
NewcastleGateshead is the regional shopping capital of the North
East. The Urban Core offers two compact primary shopping areas. In
Newcastle this is focused around Northumberland Street and Eldon
Square Shopping Centre. In Gateshead this is focused around Trinity
Square. Secondary shopping areas tend to be disjointed from these
primary shopping areas, such as Grainger Street (Newcastle) and
High Street South (Gateshead).
Despite the recent extension of the Eldon Square Shopping Centre,
Newcastle has slipped down the national rankings. This is largely
because Newcastle has not kept pace with the retail expansion of other
core cities. Gateshead Town Centre has also suffered from decline in
retail performance over the last decade from lack of investment.
Detailed research and analysis has been undertaken and this has
identified a need for additional retail development within the core
area to support its role as the regional shopping capital. There are
opportunities for future retail growth within the Urban Core in sites such
as East Pilgrim Street (Newcastle) and Trinity Square (Gateshead)
Key
Retail
Services
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27
section two
The Place
Figure 2.14: Industry and Vacant Land
2.5.5Industry and Vacant Land
Existing industrial uses are spread across the Urban Core with
particular concentrations to the east and west. Declining industry has
resulted in large areas of vacant land where previous industrial uses
have been cleared. These will provide opportunities for future key
developments.
Key
General Industry
Storage or Distribution
Vacant
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28
Figure 2.15: Tourism and Entertainment
2.5.6Tourism and Entertainment
The Urban Core is a key focus for the development of culture, leisure
and tourism. Our existing heritage, culture and quality of environment
makes a huge contribution to the unique character and image of
NewcastleGateshead and this underpins the appeal to visitors.
Restaurants and bars are located mainly within the central area of the
Urban Core extending down to the Quayside.
Tourism centres around its cultural, sporting and leisure offers, such as
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Millennium Bridge;
St James’ Park and the Metro Arena. These are some of the important
aspects of the urban core’s offer and a key attraction to many visitors
for a short stay city break.
There are opportunities to extend the offer to a wider audience
throughout the day and night.
Key
Drinking establishments
Assembly and Leisure
Restaurants and Cafe’s
Take Aways
Hotels
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29
section two
The Place
Figure 2.16: Public Realm Analysis
2.6 Public Realm
The Urban Core is unique in having two large, historic city parks
located on it’s northern edge. As one would expect, there are also
many areas of paved civic space, and many street spaces/routes that
are located within the urban core. The biggest concern is the quality,
legibility and connectivity of these spaces and routes.
A qualitative audit of the public realm was undertaken for the Urban
Core which included the major streets and spaces. Each was
assessed using an agreed methodology covering a range of factors.
Following this assessment each area was categorised as either high,
medium, or low quality. High quality spaces or routes are welcoming
and distinctive, offering a range of benefits to users. They contain
high quality materials and street furniture, are well maintained, and
contain active uses that encourage high pedestrian flows. Activity is a
key element of a high quality space. Therefore spaces or routes that
have a high physical quality but are underused tend to be rated as
medium quality. Low quality spaces or routes are uninviting places
that offer a limited range of benefits and have low quality materials,
street furniture, poor maintenance, and low levels of activity.
The map shows a range in the quality of the public realm. The highest
quality spaces are located within Grainger Town and on the river’s
edge,to the eastern ends of Newcastle Quayside and Gateshead
Quays. Examples of high quality spaces include Monument and
Baltic Square. Newcastle’s low quality spaces tend to be on more
peripheral areas, whereas Gateshead’s low quality spaces tend to be
more interspersed. Examples of low quality spaces include Blandford
Square and High Street South. Overall the majority of the public realm
is of medium quality. Examples include Northumberland Street and
the area around Gateshead Civic Centre.
The following page gives examples of three significant spaces/routes
within the Urban Core, illustrating an example from each of the high
quality, medium quality and low quality categories.
Key
High Quality Public Realm
Medium Quality Public Realm
Low Quality Public Realm
Key Development Sites
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
30
2.6.1 Quayside / Baltic Square
2.6.2 The Blue Carpet
2.6.3 West Street
The Quayside and Baltic Square are some of the best examples of
high quality public spaces across the Urban Core. Both spaces consist
of a high quality materials palette and carefully respect and respond
to their context. Both spaces are highly accessible and provide one of
the key pedestrian links across the River Tyne.
The Blue Carpet is considered as a piece of public art and was designed
by Thomas Heatherwick as a creative and imaginative design solution
for the area outside the Laing Art Gallery. It is a unique and distinctive
space, however there are issues with maintaining the space in terms
of availability of materials and costs.
The design of West Street has evolved as a result of its changing use
and context as Gateshead Town Centre has developed. The space is
primarily meant for pedestrians with only cycle and access vehicles
associated with the retial units allowed. The failings of this space are
down to the lack of focussed use as well as the poor quality buildings.
Both spaces are connected via the award winning Gateshead
Millennium Bridge which, as well as a functional pedestrian and cyclist
link, is a huge tourist attractor in it’s own right because of it’s unique
tilting action. Baltic Square is well used as an informal meeting and
social place, and is the main central event space for this area, hosting
art installations, outdoor performances and festivals such as ‘Evolution
Festival’ and events like The Great North City Games.
The space is predominately used as a through route. Daytime activity
is confined to particular areas with very little activity in the interior of
the space. Although the space is more popular at lunch times there
is a lack of seating and the seating that does exist is not grouped
in a sociable way. The surrounding buildings contain large areas of
inactive frontage which may contribute to the perception of a lack of
security. This is a poorly used space but has great potential due to its
location adjacent to the new City Library and Laing Art Gallery.
The space is mainly used through the day during trading hours of the
shops and businesses found on the western side of the street, however
the space lacks an opportunity or reason to stay for socialising. At
evening and night time the space feels un-welcoming and intimidating
due to the lack of activity and limited natural surveillance, particularly
from the east.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
31
section two
The Place
Figure 2.17: Green Space Provision Map
2.7 Green Space and Play Space
The provision of a high quality built and natural environment is essential
to attract visitors, shoppers and residents to the area. Currently the
Urban Core offers a choice of green and open space types ranging
from large city parks (such as Windmill Hills and Exhibition Park) to
smaller doorstep spaces (such as Old Eldon Square and surround
to Gateshead Civic Centre). A combined NewcastleGateshead Green
Infrastructure Study is currently in progress. It will identify deficiencies
and opportunities for the improvement of green infrastructure provision.
This work also includes a separate study of the River Tyne, as a key
recreational and wildlife corridor of shared significance for Newcastle
and Gateshead.
Figure 2.17 illustrates the current distribution of green and playspace
across the Urban Core. Generally, this shows the provision of green
and play space is mixed and uneven, with the greatest deficiency
towards the hearts of Newcastle and Gateshead centres.
Key
City Park (>10ha, within 20min walk or 1.5km)
Local Park (>6ha, within 15min walk or 1km)
Local Green Space (>2ha, within 10min walk)
Doorstep Green Space (>0.1ha, within 5min walk)
Cemetery / Churchyard
Green Corridor
Young people’s Play Space
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
32
2.7.1 Parks and Green Spaces
2.7.2 Cemeteries and Churchyards
2.7.4 Provision for Children and Young People
Government guidance defines the primary purpose of parks as
accessible, high quality opportunities for informal recreation and
community events.
Cemeteries and Churchyards are defined as places for quiet
contemplation and burial of the dead, often linked to the promotion of
wildlife conservation and biodiversity.
Play provision can take many forms such as formal play in supervised
play centres, or equipped play and sports areas and informal areas
of green space with natural play, exercise and games opportunities.
There are four city parks (spaces over 10Ha) in the Urban Core;
Exhibition Park, Leazes Park, Windmill Hills and Riverside Park. Most
Urban Core residents are within a 20 minute walk of these facilities
and Metro and bus routes give good access. The quality of Leazes
Park is good, however the others require improvements to enhance
their quality of place, accessibility, connectivity and safety. There is
one local park partly contained within the Urban Core which is the City
Stadium in Newcastle to the north east of the study area.
There are a number of churchyards associated with historic churches,
offering small spaces of relative peace and quiet, mature and veteran
trees and a place to reflect and relax. Two larger churchyards at
Westgate Hill and All Saints offer good tree cover and wildlife habitats
including a very rare native black poplar. St. Andrews and St. Johns
churchyards provide smaller attractive spaces whereas St. Nicholas
and St. Mary’s RC Cathedral’s are somewhat disappointing. In the
southern part of the urban core, Gateshead only has the former St.
Mary’s Church, located within Gateshead Quays, that has a churchyard
attached to it. In addition to this the only other cemetery is Deckham
Cemetery, located just outside the urban core, to the south.
There are equipped playgrounds within the newer areas of housing, at
Windmill Hills, Leazes Park and Exhibition Park. There are two skate
parks located south of Gateshead Town Centre and at Exhibition
Park. However, opportunity for play or informal sport is limited within
the Urban Core for children and families. Spaces, such as The Blue
Carpet, are attractive to skateboarders and BMX riders but the activity
is discouraged. Play does not need to take place in formally designated
places and the public realm itself should offer the opportunity for play.
The smallest green spaces provide an open space experience that is
best described as a doorstep green space (spaces between 0.1 and
2Ha). Despite their size, spaces such as Old Eldon Square can still be
of high quality and great importance. There is a deficiency of doorstep
green spaces within the Urban Core and many of those that do exist
offer little, or in some instances no recreational value, such as the
large verge spaces associated with Gateshead Highway.
2.7.3 Green Corridors
Green Corridors are usually linear spaces allowing movement, and
making connections between other spaces and places. They include
rivers, canal banks, cycleways and rights of way. Currently there
is only one green corridor within the Urban Core, situated on the
Gateshead side of the river. This riverside route is part of the strategic
green infrastructure network and provides direct access to the major
areas of urban green space on the riverside, including Riverside Park
and the urban countryside sites adjacent to the Urban Core such
as East Gateshead, near Gateshead International Stadium, and at
Pelaw. However, more green routes are present within the Urban
Core but these tend to be contained within other spaces, most notably
Hadrian’s Way and Keelmans Way National Trails within the River
Tyne Wildlife Corridor. The closest green corridor to the northern
part of the Urban Core can be found running around the western and
southern boundaries of the Byker Estate.
It is proposed to create a ‘Green Crescent’ connecting Saltmeadows
Riverside to Riverside Park via the Urban Core and a network of
improved and new spaces. The Green Crescent will be a safe, usable
and green route for pedestrians and cyclists that utilises existing green
spaces and links to the wider green infrastructure network, particularly
the River Tyne.
Exhibition Park
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
A grave in St. Andrews Churchyard
33
section two
The Place
Figure 2.18: Wildlife and Ecology Analysis
2.8 Wildlife and Ecology
Ecological Networks and wildlife corridors are intended to help conserve
biodiversity where patches of semi-natural habitat have become
fragmented and isolated within intensively used landscapes. They are
a valuable resource and can provide migration and movement routes
for wildlife, as highlighted in PPS9. This connectivity is particularly
important in enabling species to move in response to climate change.
High quality greenspace is an important element in helping conserve
biodiversity, the maintenance of healthy functioning ecosystems is
essential in safeguarding air and water quality, ameliorating the effects
of climate change and providing an environment which promotes
physical and mental health and well being.
Figure 2.18 illustrates the Wildlife Enhancement Corridors within and
around the Urban Core. Wildlife corridors through the study area are
limited and difficult to achieve, but it is possible to create stepping
stones of wildlife friendly habitat across the Urban Core.
Key
High Biodiversity
Intermediate Biodiversity
Low Biodiversity
River Tyne Tidal Mud Local Wildlife Site (LWS)
River Tyne Wildlife Corridor
Other Wildlife Corridors
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
34
2.8.1 Ecology in the Urban Core
2.8.3 Wildlife Corridors
Across the Urban Core there are varying levels of biodiversity value,
with the greater concentration situated in and around the River Tyne.
Newcastle has limited habitat for wildlife however Exhibition Park and
the area around the Ouseburn Farm do provide important habitats for
Newcastle’s wildlife. Exhibition and Leazes Parks form important links
within the wildlife corridors and provide buffer zones to the adjacent
Town Moor Site of Local conservation Importance, they also have a
reasonable number of mature trees. The Ouseburn Farm forms part of
the Ouseburn Wildlife Enhancement Corridor, which is an extremely
important link from the River Tyne to the wider countryside, providing
habitat for important species such as otter and kingfisher. It contains
valuable woodland, grassland and wetland habitats.
This Wildlife Corridor is based on the tidal River Tyne. Within the Urban
Core area it is shared between both Newcastle and Gateshead, but the
corridor continues upstream into Northumberland, and downstream
through North and South Tyneside to the North Sea.
The main sites of ecological interest in Gateshead are Riverside
Park, Windmill Hills Park and several areas of previously developed
brownfield land. Riverside Park incorporates areas of lowland
broadleaved woodland (a priority habitat in the Durham Biodiversity
Action Plan) and open grassland. The site provides good opportunities
for a broad range of species and is of significant ecological interest
in the local context. Windmills Hills Park supports an area of recently
established wildflower grassland and amenity tree and shrub planting.
The site provides opportunities for a range of species, but its ecological
value is limited by its small size and isolated nature. Areas of previously
developed land occur at various locations throughout the Urban Core.
Much of this land supports considerable ecological interest and such
interest will need to be taken into account in development proposals.
Temporary uses incorporating biodiversity on vacant sites should also
be promoted. The Leamside Line, that runs to the west of the Freight
Depot and Baltic Business Quarter sites, supports a range of species,
and serves as an important corridor for wildlife at a local level. All this
amounts to limited existing biodiversity value in central Gateshead.
The area does, however, provide opportunities to achieve significant
improvements for wildlife but in order to achieve this, where space is
limited, innovative design of buildings and spaces will be needed.
The boundaries of this and other corridors have been re-surveyed
and assessed in Gateshead, as part of the evidence base for the
LDF Core Strategy. This corridor has been retained as a result, with
refined boundaries, in parallel with Newcastle’s Wildlife Enhancement
Corridors, several of which link up with the River Tyne Wildlife Corridor.
The most important components of this corridor within the Urban Core
are the river itself, the areas of mud along its banks exposed at low tide,
and the woodland, grassland and scrub habitats that form Gateshead
Riverside Park. It is particularly important for the movement of plants
and animals, including salmon, otters and large numbers of waterfowl
and wading birds. Within the Urban Core, it is used by kittiwakes
breeding on structures such as the Tyne Bridge and (to the east of the
area) the Kittiwake Tower. Kittiwakes traditionally breed on sea cliffs.
The River Tyne population is believed to be the most inland breeding
colony of kittiwakes in the world.
Points in this corridor which may impede the movement of wildlife,
and which therefore need particular care or improvement, are places
where the river is crossed by bridges and where the natural banks
have been replaced with hard edges – both are particularly prevalent
in the Urban Core. Disturbance of wading birds which feed on the
mud flats at low tide is also an issue where there is direct access to
the river frontage. Pollution in the lower reaches is a further important
factor. Parts of the Urban Core are therefore potential ‘pinch points’
on this corridor.
The River Tyne Wildlife Corridor also has the important function of
linking Local Wildlife Sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest
which are on or close to the river. However, only the Local Wildlife
2.8.2 Local Wildlife Site Designation
Site of the River Tyne Tidal Mud extends into the western edge of the
Urban Core, and the Kittiwake Tower is just outside of the area to the
Both Newcastle and Gateshead’s Green Infrastructure Study and east at Saltmeadows.
Gateshead’s ecological evidence base recommend the designation of
the whole of the River Tyne, and relevant areas of its banks, as a single Newcastle’s Wildlife Enhancement Corridors has created a spatial
Local Wildlife Site. This would join up existing individual designations, wildlife network around existing statutory and policy protected
and ensure that ecological connectivity is a primary consideration in features, including designated wildlife sites, parks and public open
the future development and management of this area.
space, sports fields, allotments and the green belt.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
The quality of the land within the ‘Enhancement Corridors’ for
biodiversity has been audited to identify areas that can be enhanced
through development or management. This has included protected
sites and/or species, Biodiversity Action Plan target habitats and
species, public green space, and areas with potential for enhancement
through development and regeneration.
Wildflower grassland created as part of Windmill Hills Park
35
section two
The Place
2.9 Place Making Principles
A number of key place making principles have been identified below New development should be well integrated into its surrounding
and these must be adhered to with regard to any proposed changes context and contribute to local distinctiveness:
within the Urban Core. However these principles should also be
• Major or significant proposals should enhance the sense of place
applied to any change and/or development occurring outside of this
of the Urban Core;
immediate area that may have an impact on any elements within the
Urban Core.
• Major or significant proposals should reinforce the status of
NewcastleGateshead as regional capital by celebrating the
Strengthen and extend the existing network of civic and green
built environment with world class architectural solutions, in
spaces and routes:
refurbishment schemes and new development;
• Maximise opportunities to enhance and extend links to the existing
open space network in the Urban Core;
• Proposals should conserve and enhance the Urban Core’s heritage
through outstanding high quality design;
• Focus investment into public space provision, linked to cardinal
routes and walking routes;
• Proposals should take into account the historic context of routes,
buildings and spaces in the development of schemes;
• Encourage more local open space / pocket parks throughout the
Urban Core;
• Proposals should be in full compliance with any existing
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) and Interim Planning
• Minimise the loss of public access to civic and green spaces;
Guidance (IPG);
• Proposals should protect and enhance areas of biodiversity
interest;
• Proposals should be in full compliance with the Urban Landscape
Study of the Tyne Gorge;
• Ornamental landscaping should be designed to cater for wildlife;
• Any retail expansion of the Urban Core should be carried out
sensitively taking a fine grain approach.
• Any trees that are removed from the urban core should be replaced
on a 2 for 1 basis;
• Bat and bird boxes should be incorporated into the design of any
new buildings.
Diverse mixed uses will be encouraged to create a vibrant Urban
Core that provides for all:
Enhancement of the public realm:
• High quality streetscape design, street furniture and materials
should be used in the renewal and provision of public realm;
• Street furniture should be located sensitively in relation to buildings
and user routes to avoid becoming street clutter;
• Proposals should promote a mix of uses that provide activity at
ground floor level, particularly along pedestrian desire lines;
• Commercial refuse bins will be stored away from public areas,
preferably to the rear of buildings or in designated storage units;
• Proposals should promote a mix of uses that contribute towards
activities at different times of the day;
• The lighting of buildings should be encouraged where appropriate,
but compliance with the Newcastle City Centre Lighting Strategy
must be enforced as far as possible through planning mechanisms.
Inappropriate or poorly executed lighting should be discouraged
and prevented where possible;
• New housing should be promoted in appropriate locations;
• Improve the quality, range and provision of office accommodation
to meet demand from all business sectors;
• Inclusive design should be encouraged that provides for all ages,
groups and abilities.
Provide a safe and secure Urban Core:
• Promote a safe and attractive Urban Core for all, through the mix
and design of development and management of public spaces
and places;
• Sustaining the existing safe and dynamic, attractive night time
economy.
Important views and vistas should be protected and enhanced.
Strategic views from major access routes and public vantage
points must be maintained:
• Existing views of landmarks, particularly listed landmarks, must be
protected and enhanced;
• New landmark buildings should be considered at places which
lack wayfinding characteristics and any form of identity;
• Proposals must be in full compliance with the 14 criteria set
out within the Tall Buildings Guidance for Newcastle upon Tyne
Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and reflect the principles
set out in Fit for A City.
Address the challenge of climate change through sustainable
development:
• Proposals should consider the provision of green spaces, green
roofs and respect for the environment;
• Measures should be encouraged to reduce the environmental
impacts of transport by improving accessibility through walking
and cycling;
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems should be considered in all
new development.
Maintenance and Management Plans:
• Suitable management plans must accompany all proposals;
• A maintenance schedule should be agreed on all proposals.
• Dedicated areas for street performances and other social events
will be encouraged in both new and existing public spaces.
36
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
37
section three
The Movement
section threeThe
Movement
3.1 Movement Analysis
3.1.1 Pedestrian
Much progress has already been made in upgrading some of the urban
core’s public realm to increase the area’s attractiveness, however
new development will put increasing pressure on the existing network
for movement and access but this can also provide opportunities to
create better connected and attractive spaces and routes.
structure of Gateshead Highway in particular presents a substantial
physical and physiological barrier to pedestrian movement from
Gateshead Centre to surrounding areas in the east.
Limited pedestrianisation within Gateshead Centre has resulted in a
poor pedestrian environment with a predominance of buses and cars
NewcastleGateshead has a compact, therefore potentially walkable, in and around Gateshead Interchange and Charles St./Regent St. In
Urban Core. Pedestrian routes are generally in a north/south or east/ particular in Jackson Street, where there is a large volume of buses,
west direction (figure 3.1) and these form the core of the walking excessive guardrails, narrow footways, and numerous bus shelters,
network and connect the Civic Quarter in the north of the urban core, there is much to hinder pedestrian movement and lower the public
to the Southern Gateway in the south part of the urban core via Central realm quality of this area.
Station. Additionally, east/west routes connect the central parts of both
Newcastle and Gateshead to their respective Key Development Sites.
Particular issues for pedestrians in Newcastle include the severance
at Barras Bridge due to over engineered highways and poor crossings
and the conflict outside the Central Station due to the east-west traffic
movements, taxis manoeuvres and buses. Barriers to pedestrian
movement on the periphery of the city centre such as the Central
Motorway East and St James Boulevard will also need to be overcome
in order to connect it to the wider city.
Some key pedestrian routes such as Percy Street suffer from poor
footways, excessive guardrail and the impact of traffic while others
such as John Dobson Street have excessive highway width and
compromised footways. Market Street / Grainger Street are important
bus routes and the combination of narrow footways in places and bus
stops create difficulties for pedestrians.
The new bridge at Northumbria University campus east is a successful
attempt to negate barriers but there are poor quality solutions in other
places. Pedestrian crossings are provided on at St James’ Boulevard
but they are indirect multi stage crossings with considerable delay for
pedestrians.
Within Gateshead the main impediment to pedestrian movement
is the major ‘A‘ road network which provides a significant barrier to
movement between the Centre, it’s surrounding residential areas,
Baltic Business Quarter, and Gateshead Quays. Pedestrian flows
into the Centre are restricted by the volume of traffic and impeded
by indirect multi stage crossings on the A184 which bounds the retail
core to the north, south and west, and the Gateshead Highway/Tyne
Footway pinchpoint on Jackson Street
Bridge Approach (A167) to the east. The double-decked concrete
Footway congestion on Blackett Street
40
3.1.2 Cycling
The adequacy of some of the main cycle routes through the urban
core has been the subject of a recent assessment by Atkins, funded
by the Department for Transport through its Growth Point Strategic
Studies budget. This has identified a number of detailed shortcomings
in current provision which will assist in providing the basis for future
improvement programmes.
There is a lack of clearly signed and safe cycle routes within Newcastle
City Centre. Strategic cycle routes (north/south and east/west) need
to be identified to encourage more cycling, especially for commuting.
Work has commenced on upgrading cycle parking facilities throughout
the City Centre.
The main east-west riverside cycle routes (Keelmans Way and
Hadrian’s Way) pass through the Riverside area close to both Newcastle
City Centre and Gateshead Centre. However the topography of the
Tyne Gorge creates significant level differences between them that
impedes their attractiveness in serving both centres.
Inadequate / illegible cycle routes
Gateshead Centre and Gateshead Quays are served by a developing
network of cycle routes. Proposed development within both these
areas will help alleviate these, but significant problem areas remain at
certain locations, such as the south end of Tyne Bridge / Bottle Bank,
the north end of High St and West St, and across Gateshead Highway.
Cycle parking located at Blackett Street
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
Lack of clearly signed cycle routes
Cycling across Millennium Bridge
41
section threeThe
Movement
3.1.3 Public Transport
The urban core has good penetration by public transport with six
Metro stations, three significant bus stations and numerous bus
routes delivering passengers into the heart of the area. More than half
of commuters and 76% of shoppers use public transport, in particular
buses, to access the area and this is a major contribution to the urban
core’s success. This results in a high level of buses running along
the streets and dropping passengers at bus stops. Most of the main
bus streets have over 100 buses an hour with New Bridge Street the
highest at 185.
Bus Priority
Some bus priority is in place within the urban core with a mix of ‘bus
only’ and ‘no car’ lanes. However significant delays remain, for example
for southbound buses at the junction of Groat Market and Collingwood
Street. There is potential to improve priority further, including through
the use of Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC). Service
patterns are difficult to influence, being largely dictated by the bus
operators. However, the introduction of smart ticketing could reduce
dwell times at bus stops and the provision of off street facilities for
terminating services could also reduce the impact of buses within the
street.
The urban core has some of the busiest bus and Metro stations in
Tyne and Wear. Gateshead Interchange is the single busiest location,
catering for some 5 ½ million journeys per year by bus and Metro.
These stations deliver large numbers of passengers to the Urban Core The QuayLink bus service, whose contract has recently been renewed,
as well as connecting services and surrounding pedestrian networks. provides a valuable dedicated service linking Newcastle City Centre
with Gateshead Centre and their respective quayside areas, which
is poorly served by commercial bus services. Although generally
There are three issues associated with bus movements.
highly accessible by public transport, there are also some potential
• The allocation of street space between buses, pedestrians and development sites within the urban core which are not well located for
existing services and where improvements may be required.
servicing vehicles in the core area;
• The allocation of road space between buses and general traffic on
the periphery and radial routes into the core area;
• The ability of service patterns to meet existing needs and more
importantly future needs of the core area.
Bus domination in Gateshead Centre
Allocation of space
The conflict between the needs of buses and pedestrians is particularly
acute in high footfall streets such as Blackett St, New Bridge St, Market
St. and Grainger St. Buses are highly visible and have a huge impact
on the streets where they are present in high numbers, especially
when waiting at bus stops. Footway congestion is a problem at peak
times where there are restricted widths, causing conflict between
waiting bus users and pedestrian flows.
Within Gateshead services are focused on the main purpose-built
Interchange and conflicts between bus and pedestrian space is much
more limited. A very high number of buses use Jackson Street but
despite footway widths being relatively narrow, significant problems
of pedestrian congestion do not arise between waiting or alighting
passengers and pedestrian flows. Problems are more frequent from
the number of queuing buses that impede pedestrian movement
across the street.
Buses queuing along Pilgrim Street
Spacing problems
42
3.1.4 Vehicles
There are two cross river north-south strategic routes, the Central
Motorway East/Gateshead Highway via the Tyne Bridge and the
A189/A184 via the Redheugh Bridge. There are three main east-west
routes through the urban core; the A186 via Westgate Road / Mosely
Street; Forth Banks / Quayside; and A184/Askew Road in Gateshead.
There are also a number of other routes providing access and some
of these provide potential through routes.
There are over 11,500 public parking spaces within the urban core,
the majority in multi-storey car parks. A number of new car parks
have been constructed in recent years, two in Stowell Street, one off
Waterloo Street and one at the quayside. These high quality car parks
have replaced low quality surface parking. There are also a number of
on-street parking spaces such as on Grey Street. There is no evidence
to show that there is a general lack of parking in the urban core and
only on the busiest days leading up to Christmas do the car parks in
the core area consistently reach capacity. Some car parks are more
popular than others particularly Eldon Square and the NCP car park
in John Dobson Street which are close to the main retail area and this
can lead to queuing and congestion for other road users. Many of the On street parking on Grey Street
car parks within Gateshead remain as low quality surface car parks
that take up developable land.
The need for strategic traffic to cross the river at particular places,
and to access parking and facilities and the provision of through bus
routes means that the within Newcastle there is high levels of traffic
at peak times on some streets, however in Gateshead there are high
levels of traffic on the majority of streets not just at peak times.
Conflicts exist between these requirements and those of pedestrian
movement on these existing routes and these need to be addressed.
Issues include:
• The impact of peak hour congestion on routes within and around
the Urban Core;
• Traffic routes and through-traffic movements;
• The unknown impact of economic growth on the road network;
• The number of parking spaces which should be available to
support growth;
• The location of parking;
• The provision and pricing of car parking to manage demand.
Queuing traffic on the A167 Tyne Bridge approach northbound
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
Queuing traffic on the Central Motorway East (CME)
43
section threeThe
Movement
Figure 3.1: Pedestrian
Figure 3.2: Cycle
Key
Key
Hadrian’s Way
National Walking Route
Secondary Pedestrian Route
Primary Pedestrian Route
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
72
National Cycle Path
Advisory Cycle Route
Traffic-free Cycle Path
Walking Recommended
Cycle Lane at Side of Road
Cycle Parking
44
Figure 3.3: Public Transport
Figure 3.4: Vehicular
Key
Key
Bus / Coach Station
100 + Bus Movements an Hour
Main Vehicular Route
Car Park
Railway Station
Metro Station
Bus Priority Measures
Secondary Route
Bus and Taxi Route
Other Bus Route
Railway Line
Other Route
Bus Only Route
Metro Line
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
45
section threeThe
Movement
Figure 3.5: Lynch Analysis Map
3.2 Lynch Analysis and Mental Mapping
A Lynch Analysis is considered to be an essential tool for surveying
and analysing peoples movement perceptions of their city or town.
People mentally map how they move between places and what
particular wayfinding features they use such as particular buildings
and / or spaces. Lynch identified five elements people use to mentally
map their perception of a city or town:
• Paths - the streets, pavements, tracks and other channels in which
people travel
• Edges - perceived boundaries such as buildings and roads
• Districts - relatively large sections of the urban core distinguished
by some identity or character
• Nodes - focal points and / or intersections
• Landmarks - readily identifiable objects which serve as reference
points
Figure 3.5 is a Lynch Analysis of the Urban Core portraying the five
elements. The plan highlights the large amount of perceived districts
across the Urban Core, with a number of these cut off and poorly
connected from central nodal areas. Also the Urban Core is severed
by a number of edges, often major roadways and railways, that disrupt
movement, particularly east / west.
Key
Minor Path
Intermediate Path
Major Path
Railway Edge
Minor Road Edge
Major Road Edge
District
Node
Landmark
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Figure 3.6: Mental Map
3.3 Mental Mapping
N
Mental mapping, as referred to as part of the lynch analysis, is the
concept of a persons personal perception of a place such as a town
or a city and how they would navigate around it. It can be used to
analyse a persons movement which can help highlight any particular
issues or barriers. This is important to understand as the information
could be used to inform future interventions which in turn can generally
improve movement and access in and around the Urban Core.
Figure 3.6 is a mental map of the Urban Core which represents a typical
depiction of how a user of Newcastle City Centre and / or Gateshead
Town Centre may move around. There is a strong emphasis on north
/ south movement and very much a focus to the central parts of the
Urban Core, rather than venturing east or west to the Ouseburn or
the Staiths. The mental map also clearly illustrates the barriers to
pedestrian movement as being the major highway networks within the
Urban Core. These restrict movement between the centre of Newcastle
and the Quayside and Ouseburn and the centre of Gateshead to the
Gateshead Quays.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
47
section threeThe
Movement
Figure 3.7: A Walkable City
3.4 A Walkable City
The promotion of walking and the aspiration for the Urban Core to
become an area in which walking is both a safe and enjoyable activity
stems from the recognition that attractive and economically thriving
cities are those that encourage public life and recreation. Research
into the character of public life has shown there are many different
activities that are carried out on foot, aside from just walking. Good
quality public spaces and routes, and how these are used, contribute
greatly to the propensity for people to walk, and popular streets may
not be so just because they allow walking per se but because of the
activities associated with them.
The highest daytime pedestrian flows in Newcastle are in the core retail
areas such as Northumberland Street, Blackett Street and Grainger
Street. However other high flows were recorded in the Central Station
and Neville Street area, and Percy Street, Newgate Street and Grey
Street areas. This data shows that there are two major north/south
and east/west pedestrian routes within Newcastle City Centre which
connect all five Metro Stations and which coincide in the main with the
streets that have the highest flows, and highest quality of public realm. Pedestrian flows within Gateshead are typically lower than in
Newcastle. However a number of important pedestrian flows do exist,
especially within the Centre between the Civic Centre, Gateshead
Interchange and retail areas of Jackson Street, West Street, and High
Street. Significant increases in flows are expected in this area when
the redevelopment of Trinity Square is completed. Other major routes
include links from Gateshead Interchange to Gateshead Quays,
Gateshead College, Baltic Business Quarter, and the High Level
Bridge/Tyne Bridge links across the river.
All these routes have been prioritised and categorised as shown in the
Key below, and are illustrated in Figure 3.7: A Walkable City.
Key
Primary (Cardinal) Routes
Secondary Routes
Riverside Routes
Bus / Coach Stations
Central Railway Station
Metro Stations
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Figure 3.8: Cardinal North / South Route
The images below represent the a photo route of the north / south cardinal pedestrian route traversing the Urban Core from Barras Bridge in Newcastle through to High West Street in Gateshead. There is a reasonably
direct pedestrian route from the north to the south and vice versa however various points do not offer a pedestrian friendly environment and the route itself is not very clear or legible for visitors of the Urban Core.
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section threeThe
Movement
Figure 3.9: Key East / West Route (Newcastle)
The photos below represent the nodes and barriers on a typical pedestrian journey from the east of the city centre (Manors) through to the west (Gallowgate). There is no direct pedestrian route, rather a number of
nodes and barriers which do not offer a clear legible path.
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Figure 3.10: Key East / West Routes (Gateshead)
The photos below represent the nodes and barriers on the 2 main pedestrian routes from; Gateshead Centre (West Street/High Level Bridge link) to Gateshead Quays (Baltic Square); and, from Gateshead Centre
(Interchange) to Baltic Business Quarter (Gateshead College). The photographs illustrate a number of the key points of reference for pedestrians when walking these routes. Although there are a number of landmarks
along the routes, there is a loss of legibility in instances in the way that the routes are defined.
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51
section threeThe
Movement
3.5 Movement Principles
The aspirations for the Urban Core embodied in the 1Plan are A number of detailed principles for movement have been set out
based around the need to support the long term development and to guide the development of the Urban Core. These principles are
regeneration of the area. In transport terms this results in the need to: required to determine the appropriate allocation of space for each
mode within every street in the area. The roles of individual streets will
vary; from primary retail streets with very high footfalls that will require
•
Provide effective access for people and goods; and
•
Reduce the environmental impacts of transport on the very high pedestrian priority; to roads such as the Central Motorway
attractiveness of the central area.
East (CME) which is a strategic vehicular highway. Between these
two extremes lie the vast majority of streets that have varied functions
One of the main challenges for the Urban Core Area Action Plan will and serve a number of modes. The allocation of streetspace between
be in reconciling the conflicts inherent in achieving the above aims. In different modes will create tensions and the movement principles are
particular there is a need to identify how movement to and from the intended to assist in determining how this is done.
central area can be facilitated while at the same time reducing the
impacts of that movement.
The principles can be summarised as follows:
Taxi will be considered as public transport and prioritised accordingly.
Ranks will be provided in every quarter.
Service vehicles will be given priority over general traffic but kept to
a minimum. Freight consolidation will be introduced in relevant new
developments which will be expected to have off-street service yards.
General traffic accessing the urban core will have priority over through
traffic. The Tyne Bridge Corridor, St James Boulevard and Askew
Road will remain strategic routes until alternative river crossings are
available. Additional capacity will be achieved through the use of the
UTMC and ITS systems.
Car Parking for long stay will be restrained in favour of short stay
The ability to access the Urban Core by all modes and to then to Walking should be traffic free within the core retail areas with ease of within the Urban Core. Retail parking will be within 200 metres of the
experience it by foot which will include using high quality public movement prioritised on ‘Cardinal Routes’.
retail core.
space for sitting, eating or just walking around will promote tourism,
attract shoppers and support businesses. Making the Urban Core an Cyclists should be able to travel to every area within the urban core The principles set out serve to maximise use of the movement network
attractive place to live, work and visit will require a continuing support via specific north-south and east-west routes.
by those accessing the Urban Core, particularly by sustainable modes.
There will however be conflicts in delivering all the principles in every
for walking and cycling and associated high quality public realm in
such a way as to encourage its use whilst improving public transport Metro stations will be connected by ‘Cardinal Routes’ and close to area. The historic street pattern and urban form puts constraints on
how space can be allocated. For example, Grainger Street will form
access and maintaining necessary vehicular movement.
bus stops.
a ‘Cardinal Route’ for pedestrians but it is also a major bus route
Bus movements across the urban core will be given priority where and ideally should form part of a major north / south route. There is
possible over more general traffic. Through bus routes will be insufficient width for all these activities to take place so compromises
encouraged with all terminating services contained in off street will have to be made to achieve a better balance.
facilities. Dwell times will be reduced with improved ticketing options.
Cardinal routes should ideally be either traffic free or with footways
Rail stations will be accessible by Cardinal Routes and adjacent bus between 3 metres and 5 metres in width. Where they cross traffic
routes they should be given priority and the street crossed in one
connections will be retained.
movement. At junctions diagonal crossings should be considered.
Coach travel will be encouraged with main pick up/drop off points Traffic Signal Cycle times should be 90 seconds or less to reduce
adjacent to bus/Metro facilities. Suitable parking for event coaches delay to pedestrians. The ‘shared space’ concept should be explored
where benefits can be provided.
will be identified.
Attractive City Centre
Attractive areas for tourists
Managing through traffic and access
52
implementation of the regeneration projects coming out of Fit For A City,
in particular the transformation of West Street, and the regeneration of
the Gateshead Interchange urban block itself.
through their respective initiatives/policies; Newcastle’s East Pilgrim
Street IPG, and; Gateshead’s ‘Fit For A City’ regeneration delivery
strategy.
Safety, and feeling safe, can be a determining factor on deciding
whether to walk or cycle and on the choice of route to be taken. This
To reduce the impact of buses without affecting accessibility it would can vary across the Urban Core, and between day and evening. Some
be beneficial for a package of measures to be developed including routes feel very safe during the day but lonely and exposed at night.
off-bus ticketing (including the use of Smart Card technology); an Accidents involving pedestrians are an additional hazard where there
examination of services to merge terminating services (to create cross is conflict between pedestrian routes and traffic. Analysis of accidents
urban core services) and also those services where routes overlap (to within Newcastle show that there is a clear distinction between the
location of daytime and evening accidents. Daytime accidents occur
reduce bus mileage on sensitive streets).
predominantly in the northern part whilst evening accidents are
mostly in the southern area which reflects the daytime and evening
Other criteria for a good quality pedestrian network include:
economies. One exception is Percy Street which appears to record
accidents throughout the day.
• Legible (intuitive) routes, with;
• High levels of connectivity, and;
There are clusters of accidents at junctions where formal crossing
• Good (co-ordinated) linkages with other modes.
facilities are in place which seems to suggest that these facilities are
• A fine (human scale) urban grain with varied land use patterns;
not being used as designed. Two stage crossings or excessive waiting
• A safe and welcoming environment, by ensuring;
time for a green phase can lead to pedestrians crossing during red
• High quality floorscaping (materials);
and an increase in accident risk. A review of crossings would identify
• High quality streetscaping (street furniture, signage etc);
which ones can be simplified to one stage, with signal timings set
• Regular maintenance, and;
so that pedestrian movement is not unnecessarily hampered. New
• A thoughtful streetscape layout, keeping clutter to a minimum.
technology can contribute to the development of ‘intelligent crossings’
There is the greatest scope to improve connectivity within the Urban which can anticipate demands from pedestrians.
Core that will also include better links with other modes of transport.
Some pedestrian routes within the urban core suffer from the excessive
Linkages with other modes is important so that immediately on use of guard railing. Guard railing should be removed where possible,
leaving a bus station or car park a good network of pedestrian routes is unless there is a clear indication that the benefits to pedestrian safety
available to take people to their destination. Similarly, bus passengers outweigh all other benefits.
who wish to transfer to Metro, or vice versa, need good connecting
routes. Signage and legibility is part of this process and this has been Streets and Spaces are where the movement requirements of the
urban core are met. The quality of this public realm will depend to
outlined above.
some extent on how the different forms of movement can be balanced
A complete pedestrian network should offer full connectivity between whilst still retaining a viable and accessible urban core.
all transport modes from the main arrival points within the Urban
Core. There are some connectivity issues within Newcastle that will Low quality spaces (as defined by the public realm audit) tend to be
be addressed as part of wider development. These are at Manors isolated areas, traffic dominated areas, or areas where there is a
Metro Station and St James Metro Station where improvements would conflict between vehicles and pedestrians such as Percy Street or
be undertaken as part of the development of the East Pilgrim Street Oakwellgate / Gateshead Highway and it’s junctions.
and Science Central / Gallowgate sites. Improvements at Haymarket
and Central Station would need to be implemented outside of any Both universities contain high quality spaces as well as high pedestrian
flows, however low quality spaces such as Pilgrim Street and High
development proposals.
Street South suffer from dilapidated buildings and lower pedestrian
Connectivity to Gateshead Interchange will be improved through the flows. Both of these areas will benefit in the future from improvements
Vehicle Movement within the Urban Core can be broken down into
two types. Those vehicles which require access to the urban core to
support economic activity, such as buses, taxis, service vehicles and
cars wishing to park; and those that are moving through the Urban
Core en route to other parts of NewcastleGateshead or beyond.
Managing the latter type of movement whilst still maintaining access
for the former will be key to ensuring that the urban core remains
dynamic and accessible and that walking and cycling will be given the
highest priority.
Cycling in pedestrian only streets with high footfall such as
Northumberland Street does create tensions but it seems reasonable
that cycling should be allowed at times outside these peak hours.
However where there is no alternative route then it may be necessary
to allow cycling within these areas.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
Parking within the urban core will be managed to promote the use
of short stay over long stay. This parking will serve to support the
retail and other commercial uses but deter commuters who contribute
significantly to peak hour congestion.
Buildings in a poor state of repair contribute to a lower quality of public
realm and fewer pedestrians
53
section four
Matters for
Consideration
section four
Matters for Consideration
Figure 4.1: Key Issues Map
4.1 Key Issues
Figure 4.1 illustrates a number of key issues that are apparent in terms
of movement and place throughout the Urban Core.
There are several large vacant sites consisting of large footprints
across the Urban Core, with some earmarked for future development
such as Science Central in Newcastle and Trinity Square and Baltic
Business Quarter in Gateshead.
However the existing public realm infrastructure linking to a number
of these vacant sites is of poor quality (as identified through the
public space audit) and this will need addressing as part of future
redevelopments. Another factor that needs to be overcome is the
large number of physical barriers that impede pedestrian movement
and dissect the Urban Core such as the A167(M) Central Motorway
East / A167 Gateshead Highway route.
Other key issues that have arisen from the analysis of the urban core
are the number of weak arrival points within the Urban Core; and the
need for good quality green space and improved access to these.
These issues are summarised in more detail on the following page.
Key
Public Realm Issues
Specific Green Space Improvements
Road Barriers
Rail Barriers
Vacant Development Sites
Weak Arrival Points
River
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• There are many underused and vacant sites and buildings across • There is a poor provision of directional signage and interpretation
the Urban Core. Larger sites are concentrated in the southern half
within the Urban Core;
and north west quarter, with smaller sites in the centre and the
north eastern quarter;
• There are a number of existing pedestrian links and crossings that
offer a poor environment for users particularly in Gateshead along
• Upper floor vacant space is particularly evident within the central
the Gateshead Highway, across Askew Road, Prince Consort
area of Newcastle;
Road, Regent Terrace and Charles Street;
• The allocation of road space between buses and general traffic
on the periphery and radial routes into the Urban Core causes
conflict;
• There are no clear arrival points to the eastern part (Ouseburn)
and the southern part (Southern Gateway) of the Urban Core;
• The impact of peak hour congestion on routes in and around the
Urban Core;
• There is a conflict between the need for an increase in bus priority
against the issue of a high number of buses within the Urban Core;
• The ability of existing car parking to cater for future needs is
• Existing arrival points are considered weak and create poor first • There is poor pedestrian and vehicular access to a number of tourist
inadequate;
impressions of the Urban Core such as Tyne Bridge Approach into
destinations located at Gateshead Quays, from both Newcastle
Gateshead;
• The number, size and location of future parking needs determining;
and Gateshead Central areas;
• Existing civic and green spaces are poorly connected, with some
lacking a sense of purpose such as The Blue Carpet and Riverside
Park;
• There are few or no landmark buildings to the eastern part
(Ouseburn) of the Urban Core and to northern and southern parts • There is a lack of a suitable outdoor event spaces within the Urban
of Gateshead;
Core, with the exception of Baltic Square and Performance Square
in Gateshead Quays;
• There are a number of buildings that do not respond positively
to the context of the Urban Core, particularly in the East Pilgrim • Existing green space needs to be improved such as Exhibition
Street area and throughout Gateshead Centre;
Park and Riverside Park;
• There are a number of physical and visual barriers to the Urban
Core’s historic buildings;
• There is a poor provision of clearly signed and safe cycle routes
throughout the Urban Core and very limited cycle parking facilities;
• The ability of bus service patterns to meet existing needs and
more importantly, the future needs of the Urban Core need to be
maintained.
• There is a lack of usable doorstep (local) green space within the
Urban Core;
• There are a number of areas that suffer from low quality public • There is a lack of play space for children and young people under
realm such as Pilgrim Street, The Bigg Market, Hillgate Quay, and
the age of 18;
parts of Gateshead Centre, that would require major improvements
to achieve a high quality;
• Where there are trees and smaller green spaces within the built up
area, many of these are on sites which are likely to be redeveloped;
• There are a large number of areas that are considered to be of
a medium quality public realm such as Northumberland Street, • The Urban Core suffers from poorly defined east / west pedestrian
The Blue Carpet, around The Old Town Hall and Civic Centre
routes as the Central Motorway East and St. James Boulevard
in Gateshead that would require more general environmental
(west) act as barriers to movement. Gateshead Centre is severed
improvements to reach a high quality;
from the rest of the urban core due the Gateshead Highway running
north-south and Askew Road running east-west;
• There is a lack of high quality public spaces where pedestrians
have priority throughout the Urban Core, particularly in Newcastle’s • There is a growing conflict between pedestrians and bus passengers
central area and Gateshead Centre;
on footways at a number of locations across the Urban Core. The
allocation of street space in the central areas of Newcastle an
• There is a lack of legibility and connectivity on key pedestrian
Gateshead is out of balance and needs addressing;
routes and arrival points such as Haymarket/Barras Bridge, Central
Station, Gateshead Interchange, and between Gateshead Quays • There are conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles accessing
the Urban Core at most of the arrival points;
and Gateshead Centre, and Baltic Business Quarter;
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
57
section five
Sub Areas and
Key Projects
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
Figure 5.1: Designated Sub Areas
5.1 Identifying the Sub Areas
In order for the issues identified to be addressed in a manageable
way, the Urban Core has been divided into seven separate sub areas.
This will ensure the various constituent parts of the urban core can be
delivered together and can support one another.
The sub area boundaries are defined by a number of characteristics
of that particular area. The existing land uses have been taken into
consideration as well as the established daily life that currently occurs
within them. However, just as importantly they are also defined around
how these areas are expected to develop in line with existing and
projected development trends and future aspirations.
The character and relationship between the sub areas are dynamic
and often interchangeable, therefore they are not defined by precise
boundaries and there is a degree of overlapping with neighbouring
sub areas. This approach will help the framework define desired
interventions and developments by highlighting who we wish to attract
to, or retain in, the urban core.
Key
Civic Quarter
Newcastle Central
Discovery Quarter
Ouseburn
Newcastle Quayside Baltic Riverside
Gateshead Centre
Southern Gateway
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5.1.1 Civic Quarter Sub Area
5.1.3 Newcastle Central Sub Area
5.1.4 The Ouseburn Sub Area
The Civic Quarter is in the most northerly part of the urban core and is
bounded to the east and north by the A167(M) Central Motorway. The
area is characterised by the presence of Newcastle’s two Universities,
the Royal Victoria Infirmary and the City Council’s Civic Centre. The
area is also a focus for some key leisure and cultural facilities including
the historic city baths and the Great North Museum. Also included
within this area are Leazes Park and Exhibition Park, two of the major
green open spaces within the Urban Core. The area also contains a
few residential areas and includes Framlington Place, Summerhill and
Leazes Conservation Areas.
Newcastle Central, as the name suggests, is in the central part of
Newcastle. It is the key focus of retail, leisure and commercial activity,
and the hub for transport nodes and interchanges. From Central
Station (on the national railway station) in the southern most part of
the sub area, up to the Haymarket Metro Station to the north, much
of the area is designated as a Conservation Area. The Stephenson
Quarter (to the south of Central Station) is an area rich in heritage,
associated with the 19th century former Stephenson and Hawthorn
railway works and offers a major development opportunity.
The Ouseburn Valley is located on the eastern edge of the Urban
Core and is an area with unique character. It played a key role in
the Industrial Revolution and it’s industrial past has left a legacy of
rich heritage, striking townscape and historic buildings. As a result the
area is a designated Conservation Area. As heavy industry declined in
the 20th century, small businesses started to invest in the Ouseburn
Valley, establishing a creative quarter within Newcastle. However, with
several vacant and underused sites and buildings, it is still a largely
untapped resource for the Urban Core.
5.1.2 Discovery Quarter Sub Area
The Discovery Quarter lies to the western side of the urban core,
on the north bank of the river and includes the commercial area of
Newcastle City Centre and the Summerhill and Elswick residential
areas. It contains part of the Summerhill Conservation Area and the
Central Conservation Area. This area offers enormous development
opportunity and the potential to significantly contribute to the
regeneration of the Urban Core and it’s wider conurbation. It has
significant potential for commercial and residential development and
with improvements to the public transport network could become very
well connected. The area is predominately a mix of industrial and
commercial uses that contain a number of large, vacant or underused
sites. These sites are located mainly in the vicinity of the River Tyne.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
61
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.1.5 Newcastle Quayside Baltic Riverside Sub Area
The Quayside and Baltic Riverside are former industrial areas of the
Urban Core which have experienced major changes over the last 20
years. The work of the former Tyne and Wear Development Corporation
provided a catalyst for significant redevelopment of Central and East
Quayside between 1987 and 1997. The area is home to Newcastle’s
Law Courts and is now a popular location for office development and
leisure uses such as pubs, clubs, restaurants and a number of hotels.
There has also been a significant level of residential development, in
the form of flats and apartments in recent years.
The area of the Quayside around the Castle Keep is also a distinctive
part of Newcastle’s city centre and forms part of the medieval core.
The central part of Gateshead Quays has also seen transforming
development over the last decade through cultural led regeneration
and is dominated by a trio of award winning iconic structures of
international reputation: The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Sage
Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. It is an attractive
place to visit and enjoy the spectacular views of the central part of the
Tyne Gorge. The ongoing redevelopment of Gateshead Quays and
the Baltic Business Quarter to the south will provide the Urban Core
with a distinctive, high quality commercial and leisure offer that will
complement the existing cultural attractions and world class setting.
62
5.1.6 Gateshead Centre
5.1.7 Southern Gateway
Gateshead Centre is located in the heart of central Gateshead and is the key focus of retail and commercial
activity, and the hub of the public transport network. The area is predominantly a mix of retail development
(centrally located); the Victorian buildings of Gateshead’s Old Town Hall and former Central Library (to the
north); and large industrial uses to the east. The area is bounded by the A184 to the north, west and south
with the A167 Gateshead Highway located to the east.
The Southern Gateway, as the name suggests, is located at the southern edge of the Urban Core. It is
bounded by the A184 to the north with the A167 Gateshead Highway dissecting the area through the
middle. The area to the south of Askew Road (on the sub area’s north western edge) encompasses mainly
residential development in the form of tower blocks lining Prince Consort Road; more traditional family
homes in Windmill Hills housing estate; and Windmill Hills Park, with it’s single residential tower block. The
area to the west of Gateshead Highway is the focus for some of Gateshead’s civic functions; Civic Centre,
Police Station and Law Courts which are situated within a ‘campus’ style setting of low and medium
rise buildings within soft landscaped surroundings. To the east of Gateshead Highway are the Tynegate
Precinct office blocks; the Chandless housing estate; and a number of cleared brownfield sites, including
the former Freightliner Depot site.
The aspiration for the area is to revitalise the convenience shopping role of Gateshead Centre and enable
complementary creative, niche and independent retailing, making it a destination of choice to live, work,
shop and relax.
This area offers a fantastic opportunity to deliver a new urban neighbourhood within the Urban Core, with
ease of access to transport, retail, employment, leisure and educational facilities.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
63
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.2 Civic Quarter Sub Area Analysis
5.2.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
The Civic Quarter is characterised by the presence of Newcastle’s two
Universities, the Royal Victoria Infirmary and the City Council’s Civic
Centre. The area is also a focus for some key leisure and cultural
facilities including St James’ Park, the historic city baths, the Great
North Museum and Leazes and Exhibition Park. Activity continues
into the evening with several bars concentrated in the Percy Street
area and both University campuses contain bars and nightclubs.
Other events associated with the Universities and the Northern Stage
Theatre attracts a range of users in the evening.
2
Key
1
1
Science Central Key Development Site
2
Civic Boulevard Study Area
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
Junction / Crossing Improvements
New / Improved Public Space
Metro Station
Train Station
Proposed Car Parking
Coach Station
River
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5.2.2 Key Issues
5.2.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• Key roads including the Central Motorway (east), Barras Bridge, Science Central
St Mary’s Place and St James Boulevard act as restrictive barriers
resulting in poor pedestrian movement between this area and the The key deliverables that will be provided through the Science Central
development include:
rest of the City
• New premium multi-storey car park at Great North Road
• Improve pedestrian links to and from the university campuses, RVI
Hospital and Newcastle College
• Creation of three major public spaces; Science Square (a gathering
space), Science Gateway (an arrival space) and the Knowledge
Square (will be the main recreational open space). Linked to these • The remaining trees along Percy St, Barras Bridge and Great
spaces will be potential for a space beyond at St James Park
• There are very few direct pedestrian crossings , which often do not
North Road should be retained, protected and new trees planted
known as St James Square (arrival space to Science Central from
match desire lines
the Metro)
• There are areas of inactive frontages along pedestrian streets and
• Enhanced public realm and junction improvements along key links
public spaces
including Gallowgate, Strawberry Place and Pink Lane/Bath Lane
• Key development sites and existing destinations are cut off and do
• Provision of a super crossing at Wellington Street junction
not offer any clear direct pedestrian routes to and from
• Pedestrian areas suffer poor quality public realm and public spaces
are isolated from key areas of activity
• Some areas suffer from a car orientated layout and the existing
highway infrastructure hinders pedestrian accessibility
Civic Boulevard Project
The key deliverables that will be provided through the Civic Boulevard
Project include improvements to:
5.2.3 Opportunities
• Barras Bridge and Claremont road by removing street clutter,
introducing broad, direct pedestrian crossings and extending
Within the Civic Quarter the two main opportunities for future
active frontages
improvement include the development of Science Central and the
public realm improvements associated with the Civic Boulevard
• The Haymarket Hub by removing street clutter, creating a wide
project.
direct pedestrian and cycle crossing and create a space at the
junction
Science Central has been described as the most significant opportunity
for development in Newcastle over the last 100 years. It is one of
the key opportunities to regenerate the Central core area. The key • Improve St Thomas’ Gardens by providing more seating, improving
pedestrian links and encouraging more activities
objectives for the project are to be the focus for scientific research and
commercialisation in a new mixed use urban quarter, to expand the
City Centre and reconnect to the West End communities, to provide a • John Dobson Street and the approaches to Northumbria University
by improving pedestrian crossings, widening footpaths and
link and catalyst for development and regeneration of the communities
increasing the amount of trees in the streets.
in the wider west of the City and to promote links and opportunities for
pedestrian movement through the site.
General
The Civic Boulevard project proposes to improve links between the two
Universities and the Newcastle Civic Centre. There is an opportunity Other interventions not part of major projects include:
to create a distinctive and highly quality place around this area which
• Junction improvements along St James Boulevard at various
would help reintegrate the Civic quarter back into the City Centre.
points including Gallowgate junction, Westgate Road junction and
Westmorland Road
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
Science Central site being cleared in 2007
65
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.3 Newcastle Central Sub Area Analysis
5.3.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
Retail and services are a key role of the Central area as the city centre
has a strong performance as the regional shopping capital. Newcastle
has a compact retail core and the primary shopping area is largely
focused around Northumberland Street and Eldon Square Shopping
Centre. It is also the focus of leisure and commercial activity, and the
hub of transport nodes and interchanges. The Central area is also a
key evening destination providing a range of leisure uses including
numerous restaurants and cafes, music venues, three cinemas
and three Theatres. Bars and nightclubs play a significant role in
Newcastle’s evening economy with a concentration of public houses
and bars around Newgate Street, Collingwood Street and Mosley
Street and a cluster of nightclubs around the Bigg Market.
1
Key
1
East Pilgrim Street Key Development Site
2
Stephenson Quarter Key Development Site
3
Central Station
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
Pedestrianisation
Bus Only / Traffic Restrictions
New / Improved Public Space
3
Metro Station
Train Station
Proposed Car Parking
Proposed Bus Station
2
Coach Station
River
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66
5.3.2 Key Issues
5.3.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• Pedestrian areas suffer from poor quality public realm at particular
locations such as the Bigg Market, Percy Street, Pilgrim Street and
Blackett Street
East Pilgrim Street
• There is poor signage / interpretation throughout the City Centre
• The Eldon Square underpass and blank facades at Blackett Street
add to the poor pedestrian environment of the area
• There are no clearly defined public spaces or squares that would
be suitable for events within the vicinity of the Central core area
• There are a number of areas that suffer from conflict between
pedestrians and buses, particularly at Blackett Street
• Key roads and junctions, particularly at Swan House roundabout,
to the front of Central Station and surrounding Old Newcastle
dominate the area and act as restrictive barriers hindering
pedestrian movement
• Improvements to currently limited east / west pedestrian movement
• Traffic circulation to be improved to help access into the quarter
The key deliverables that will be provided through the East Pilgrim
Street development include:
Central Station
• The creation of a major new public space close to the Laing Art
Gallery and the City Library
The key deliverables that will be provided through the Central Station
proposal include:
• Additional spaces to be created on Pilgrim Street at the junction
with Northumberland Street, at Plummer Tower and a small
courtyard space in the area east of Pilgrim Street and south of
Worswick Street
• The removal of the eastbound bus lane and the vehicular traffic
from the station portico to improve connectivity and legibility to and
from Central Station
• Pedestrianisation of New Bridge Street West, Higham Place and
parts of John Dobson Street.
• The provision one stage crossings at major junctions
• The replacement of the high level walkways and sub ways with
grade crossings particularly at Swan House roundabout
• Central Station and the railway act as a barrier separating the
• The provision of a new pedestrian / cycle link to Manors Metro
Stephenson Quarter with the rest of the Central core area
from The Blue Carpet area
5.3.3 Opportunities
• The introduction of traffic restrictions to general traffic on the north
part of Pilgrim Street, Blackett Street and Market Street
General
Other interventions not part of major projects include:
• Removal of poor quality car parks at New Bridge Street, Morden
Street, Oxford Street and Saville Place and the provision of a new
premium multi-storey car park at Swan House and New Bridge
Street
• Create a new public space within the Bigg Market with major public
realm improvements to support the space
• Reduce the current level of car parking on Grey Street and improve
the public realm
Within the Central sub area there are three main opportunities for
future improvements which include the regeneration of the East • A new bus only route running from Market Street to John Dobson • General pedestrian connectivity and public realm improvements at
Street, to the rear of the proposed new retail led development
the following areas throughout the Central core:
Pilgrim Street area, the development of the Stephenson quarter and
the improvement of the entrance to Central Station.
• A new bus station facility at one of two designated areas with the
• St Andrews Street
regeneration boundary
• Clayton Street East
East Pilgrim Street is one of the most strategically important City
• Newgate Street South
Centre Regeneration Opportunity Areas in the north of England. The
• Bath Lane / Pink Lane
vision for East Pilgrim Street is to provide a comprehensive retail-led • The provision of a new multi-storey or underground car park to
replace the existing which would provide new car parking to serve
• Percy Street
mixed use redevelopment which creates an attractive new quarter of
the retail development
• Forth Street
the City Centre to live, work and visit.
• Mosley Street / Collingwood Street
• Northumberland Street
The Stephenson Quarter redevelopment will provide a mixed used Stephenson Quarter
• Neville Street
scheme. This includes the refurbishment and re-use of 4 listed
buildings including the former Doves merchants warehouse on South The key deliverables that will be provided through the Stephenson
• Newgate Street / Grainger Street
Street, the former Machine and Pattern Shop at the south of South Quarter development include:
• The Blue Carpet
Street, Hawthorn Works and the Coppersmiths Shop and Offices at
• Bridge over Central Motorway (east)
• The creation of new public spaces and squares with landscaped
the southern end of South Street.
• Gallowgate
areas to improve accessibility into the area
• Dean Street
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
67
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.4 Discovery Quarter Sub Area Analysis
5.4.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
The Discovery Quarter is predominately a mix of industrial and
commercial areas that contain a number of large, vacant or under used
sites, a legacy of its primarily industrial past. It also houses the Metro
Radio Arena which is located in the southern western vicinity. It is the
largest concert and exhibition venue in the North East of England and
is also a key sporting and leisure venue.
Key
1
Forth Yards
2
Metro Radio Arena
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
1
Traffic Restrictions
Junction / Crossing Improvements
2
Improved Ecological Area
New / Improved Public Space
Metro Station
Train Station
Coach Station
River
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
68
5.4.2 Key Issues
5.4.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• St James Boulevard acts as a major barrier with regard to east /
west pedestrian movement across the Discovery Quarter
Interventions within the Discovery sub area include:
• Newcastle College, one of the largest further education
establishments in the country, is relatively isolated from the City
Centre as well as the key public transport arrival points
• Redevelopment of the Redheugh Bridge / Scotswood Road
junction to provide an ‘all movements’ junction with enhanced
pedestrian facilities and crossings across the Boulevard to improve
accessibility to the Metro Radio Arena and Forth Yards
• The vehicular arrival point from Redheugh Bridge and Scotswood • Upgrade of the Metro Radio Arena
Road is very weak and does not give a good first impression of the
City
• The redevelopment of the Forth Yards area
• A number of gap sites at the Westgate Road / St James Boulevard
junction weaken this western Urban Core arrival point
• There is poor pedestrian access links to the Metro Radio Arena
and Forth Yards from the Central core area
• The public space at the Centre for Life does not offer any kind of
attraction for people to use the space for events
• Summerhill recreation ground is underused and in need of
improvement
• The area of land to the south of Skinnerburn Road needs to be
improved and managed as it provides a green buffer with the River
Tyne and its mudflats
• Junction improvements along St James Boulevard at various
points including Gallowgate junction, Westgate Road junction and
Westmorland Road including banning certain vehicular turning
movements and modifying toucan crossing timings
• Improvements at Westgate Road / St James Boulevard to
strengthen arrival point
• Improve pedestrian links to Newcastle College and Forth Yards
area from the Central core, in particular from Central Station which
acts as the main public transport hub of the area
• Enhancement of the Summerhill recreation ground
5.4.3 Opportunities
The Discovery Quarter offers enormous development opportunity
and the potential to significantly contribute to the regeneration of the
Urban Core and wider conurbation. Sites such as Forth Yards offer
large development footprints and with improved links to the Central
core could be very attractive to future investors.
The area contains a number of arrival points into the city centre that
currently offer poor first impressions of the City. The upgrading of the
Metro Radio Arena is also an opportunity of further growth.
The upgrade of the Redheugh bridge / Scotswood Road / St James
Boulevard junction will strengthen the vehicular arrival point into the
Urban Core from the southwest which is a key opportunity for change
and would provide a strong gateway into the city centre.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
An attempt to draw people to the public space at the Centre for Life
69
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.5 Ouseburn Sub Area Analysis
5.5.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
The Ouseburn Valley is an area with unique character located a short
distance from the Central and Quayside character areas. There are
also several day time leisure attractions within the Ouseburn including
Ouseburn Farm, Stepney Stables and the national centre for children’s
literature, Seven Stories. The Ouseburn is also a popular evening
destination with a cluster of restaurants and public houses/bars.
Key
Ouseburn Valley
Public Realm Improvements
Pedestrianisation
Traffic Restrictions
New Cycle Routes
Junction / Crossing Improvements
New / Improved Public Space
Improved Ecological Areas
Existing Metro Station
Proposed Metro Station
River
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
70
5.5.2 Key Issues
5.5.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• There are a large number of small sites that remain undeveloped
•
•
•
•
•
• The enhancement of pedestrian and vehicular access routes to the • The introduction of toucan crossings to provide safer connections
between Ford Street and Foundry Lane and between Lime Street
Ouseburn along New Bridge Street, City Road and the Quayside
There are a number of established businesses whose activity does
and Ouse Street
not complement the concept of an ‘Urban Village’
• The eastern bank of the Ouseburn will accommodate a new
continuous north/south pedestrian cycle route linking the mouth of • The signalisation of Cut Bank and City Road junction
There is a threat of existing, unlisted historic buildings being
the Ouseburn to the upper Ouseburn and the city centre
demolished as a result of their poor condition to make way for new
• Improvements for pedestrians and cyclists in the Heart of the
development
Ouseburn through the installation of a one-way system on Stepney
• The provision of more direct pedestrian and cycle links between
Lane/Stepney Bank
the Quayside and St Lawrence Road through the installation of
There are traffic management issues as the Ouseburn Valley area
a shared surface on Low Level Bridge and cycle lanes along
is characterised by narrow roads and a lack of car parking which
• The potential closure of Ouse Street and the creation of a
Quayside Road
can lead to a high level of on street parking
pedestrianised area close to the entrance to the Victoria Tunnel
• Installation of cycle lanes on Quayside Road, Ford Street and
There is a need to enhance accessibility into and through
Foundry Lane to provide easier access throughout the Ouseburn • The provision of one or more new landmarks to articulate the end
the Ouseburn Valley, especially for users of public transport,
of the Quayside
Valley and to encourage cycling in the area
pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities
• The provision of a series of new open spaces linked by a connected • Landscaping along the edges of the lower Ouseburn river banks
The area needs people, employment space and an attractive
to provide it with a softer edge and provide an overhanging habitat
network of streets and footpaths, including new spaces at the east
public realm which can help connect the Valley to the city centre
for wildlife
end of Spillers Quay, Malmo Quay, Lower Steenburgs and Lime
Street
5.5.3 Opportunities
• The provision of pedestrian bridge crossing between the Toffee
Factory and Hume Street
The regeneration of the Ouseburn Valley would help tackle the large
number of vacant buildings and undeveloped sites and would allow
for better connections to the surrounding sub areas, particularly the
Quayside.
• Improvements for pedestrians and cyclists at the Byker Bridge /
Byker Bank junction
The first phase of development will include the Lower Steenberg site
followed by East Bank and further phases will include Malmo Quay
and Maling Street sites.
The regeneration of Central Ouseburn and Spillers Quay are long
term redevelopment prospects which should respond to the changes
in the market with regard to its overall use.
There is potential for a new Metro Station located between Manors
and Byker Metro Stations. This would help serve the Ouseburn
by providing improved access links through the creation of a new
transport hub.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
• The installation of a new metro station between Manors and Byker
metro stations possibly located at Stepney Bank
• Parking management on Ford Street, Foundry Lane and Lime
Street to ensure car parking does not impede pedestrian or cycle
movement
• The improvement of Spillars car park to provide off site parking for
developments within the Ouseburn Valley
• The introduction of traffic restrictions on Maling Street to create
an improved pedestrian environment, whilst maintaining access
to The Barrage and Glasshouse Bridge for maintenance purposes Mouth of the River Ouseburn
71
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.6 Newcastle Quayside Baltic Riverside Sub Area Analysis
5.6.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
The Quayside is a popular location for office development and leisure
uses such as markets, pubs, clubs, restaurants and a number of hotels.
There has also been a significant level of residential development, in
the form of flats and apartments in recent years. The combination
of high quality urban environment and the range of uses make the
Quayside a popular destination both during both the day and the
evening. The central south bank of the River has seen transformational
development through cultural led regeneration and is dominated by
a trio of award winning iconic structures The Gateshead Millennium
Bridge, The Sage Gateshead, and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary
Art. It is an attractive place to visit and enjoy the spectacular views of
the central Tyne Gorge. On the south side of the river new offices and
hotels are beginning to establish themselves and Gateshead College
has recently relocated to the area into a new, purpose built facility.
Whilst there is night time activity on the Quayside, there is very
limited activity on Gateshead Quays other than activities at The Sage
Gateshead and BALTIC. The Pipewellgate area no longer has a
vibrant nightclub scene and Riverside Park is generally underused.
Whilst this is an area of low crime the lack of pedestrian movement
through some parts of the area at night give rise to perceptions of low
levels of public safety, and fear of crime.
Key
Gateshead Quays Key Development Site
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
New / Improved Cycle Route
Junction / Crossing Improvements
New / Improved Public Space
Improved Ecological Area
Metro Station
Train Station
Bus Station
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
72
5.6.2 Key Issues
• The quality of the public realm to the west of the area, specifically
Quayside, Hillgate Quay, Pipewellgate and Riverside Park is poor.
that include sites within the Bridges Conservation Area and the • Linking Riverside and windmill hills parks creates valuable green
Gateshead Centre Sub Area if developed at an appropriate scale;
infrastructure links and also a direct pedestrian and cycle route
with active ground floor uses; an urban built form with streets rather
between Askew Road West sites and Gateshead Centre and
• There are limited pedestrian links between this sub area and than roads; will help to repair the broken urban fabric of this part of
Gateshead Interchange.
adjacent ones, such as the Discovery Quarter, Newcastle Centre the Urban Core linking Gateshead Quays back to Gateshead Centre.
and Gateshead Centre. These are primarily due to the fragmentation
• Crescent link between Abbot’s Rd. and South Shore Rd. creates a
caused by highway/railway infrastucture and is compounded by Further redevelopment of Gateshead Quays, to include an international
new pedestrian and public transport spine for the redevelopment
the topography of the area.
exhibition and conferencing facility, ‘A’ grade office accommodation,
of Gateshead Quays, and enables the river front to be opened up
hotels and other leisure uses, and new homes is also a key opportunity
as a high quality pedestrian zone.
• There is a dependency on key venues to the south of the river such to help boost the area.
as BALTIC, The Sage Gateshead and the Gateshead Millennium
• High quality landscaping along the course of South Shore Rd. and
Bridge and this needs to be broadened to increase the tourism Other opportunities include the redevelopment of the Pipewellgate
between The Sage Gateshead and BALTIC connects Riverside
and leisure offer of the sub area as visitor numbers to the area in area; reducing the domination of through-traffic; and, creating and
Park and the wooded slopes to the east to create a central green
general are falling.
improving pedestrian and cycle links within the area.
element parallel to the river.
• Current pedestrian figures indicate that, in regard to the evening
economy, the Quayside is falling behind other leisure areas of
Newcastle such as the Gate and the Bigg Market.
• There are a number of vacant sites on the Quayside which can
potentially detract from the high quality public realm.
5.6.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• Improve pedestrian connectivity and public realm along the
Quayside West including Close.
• Improvements to existing pedestrian access links to and from the
Quayside to encourage links to the Newcastle Central Sub Area
• Riverfront access along the central part of the south bank is
and south of the river;
dissected by the HMS Calliope facility.
• Improvements to the existing pedestrian link between Gateshead
• Riverside Park is underused, is of low quality, and has poor
Quays and Gateshead Centre via Church St, Brandling St, Hills St,
connectivity with it’s neighbouring areas.
Wellington St and West St, using super crossings at Tyne Bridge
approach road (A167), and Askew Road (A184).
• High traffic volumes to the west and south of Gateshead Quays
heavily impede pedestrian movement.
• The creation of green Infrastructure links between Riverside Park
and Windmill Hills Park (as part of wider Green Crescent).
5.6.3 Opportunities
• Ensuring the Keelman’s Way pedestrian and cycle route runs
The successful redevelopment of the Quayside has led to surrounding
along the entire length of the river’s southern edge.
areas such as Quayside West, becoming less desirable. Expansion of
the quayside to the west and also improving links to and from the area • New infill development within, and further enhancement of existing
are the key opportunities for the future to help boost the declining
historic buildings and spaces within the Bridges Conservation Area
visitor numbers of the Quayside.
(including Pipewellgate).
• Creating multi-user public car parks which serve a variety of
developments and users at different times of the day will reduce
dominance of surface car parking in area.
• Pedestrian links between High Street and Swinburne Street with
Oakwellgate and Hawks Road will further connect Gateshead
Centre and Gateshead Quays.
• New developments with active uses and frontages along key routes
between Gateshead Centre and Gateshead Quays will make them
attractive, legible and natural routes of choice, reducing perceptual
barriers of traffic and topography.
• In the longer term reconfiguring the highways south of the railway
viaducts between Gateshead Highway, High Street and Coulthards
Lane will enable more direct pedestrian routes and valuable
development sites to be created.
• Improve Byker Bank / City Road junction to provide better links to
the Ouseburn.
• Develop the gap site on Quayside.
Continuing the regeneration of Gateshead Quays into a fine grain • Reconnect the historic area with Riverside Park by reconnecting
mixed use area characterised by ‘Streets, Squares, Lanes and Stairs’
Bankwell Lane.
is a key opportunity for the future with strategic development sites
such as the Baltic Business Quarter being developed to provide a • Carry out tree and shrub planting to soften up the Quayside and
high quality, urban format, office location. Further opportunities
act as islands or stepping stones for wildlife growth.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
73
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.7 Gateshead Centre Sub Area Analysis
5.7.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
Gateshead Centre is located in the heart of central Gateshead and
is the key focus of retail and commercial activity, and the hub of the
public transport network. There is a very limited evening / night time
activity, primarily focussed on a number of pubs on Gateshead High
Street.
Key
Gateshead Centre Key Development Site
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
New / Improved Cycle Route
Junction / Crossing Improvements
New / Improved Public Space
Improved Ecological Area
Metro Station
Bus Station
River
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
74
5.7.2 Key Issues
5.7.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
• Pedestrian and cycle movement to Gateshead Centre from
surrounding areas is restricted by the urban highway network
(A184 and the A167/Gateshead Highway).
• The Trinity Square redevelopment will create a new public
square surrounded by shops within a predominantly pedestrian
environment. It will be linked to Jackson Street by a new street
lined by shops (in turn this will be extended southwards through
the Southern Gateway to link up with the proposed Sunderland
Road link).
• Pedestrian movement within the area is constrained by dominance
of buses and cars.
• Current retail offer is poor and does not cater for the needs and • West Street will be transformed into the premier public space
wants of all socio-economic groups.
linking Gateshead Interchange with Trinity Square, and as part of
the Cultural Ribbon linking Gateshead Centre with Newcastle City
• There is a limited night time economy, primarily encompassing
Centre (via High level Bridge) and Gateshead Quays.
pubs.
• New development to the west and north of the Old Town Hall will
• Quality of the public realm and buildings is generally poor.
bring enclosure to the civic square in front of the historic building
and provide more of a continuous frontage of buildings to contain
views and space as well as re-creating a proper streetscene.
• Lack of greenspaces and associated trees & planting.
• Lack of spaces & places for events or to congregate, relax, or
socialise.
• Lack of leisure uses within the area.
• Numerous underused and vacant land plots and poor quality
surface car parks.
5.7.3 Opportunities
The redevelopment of Trinity Square will provide a major opportunity
to begin the process of revitalising the convenience shopping role of
Gateshead Centre. This will also help increase the potential to improve
existing and create new spaces and routes, focussed in and around
West St and Jackson St that will provide places for visitors to socialise
and also access the surrounding areas.
• A new more intimate public space will be created at Swinburne
Place with new development to the east and south of Swinburne
House.
• Remodelling of sections of the A184 and A167 that encircle this
area; it’s main junctions and roundabouts (including the demolition
of the Gateshead Highway Viaduct) will all aid the transformation of
these traffic dominated highways, turning them into urban streets
re-prioritising them to share more equally the needs of pedestrians
and cyclists, and the requirements for vehicular traffic movement
and access. This will also increase and improve pedestrian and
cycle links to the wider Urban Core.
Further opportunities lie in developing creative, niche and independent
retailing, establishing a retail environment that serves both local
needs and creates a new type of destination within the regional retail
hierarchy.
The redevelopment of a number of vacant land plots and surface car
parks. And additionally, the opportunity to reduce the dominance of
vehicles within the area through remodelling of the highway network.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
75
section five
Sub Areas and Key Projects
5.8 Southern Gateway Sub Area Analysis
5.8.1 Role and Function of Area - Day and Night
The Southern Gateway covers three distinct areas, primarily; residential
development and Windmill Hills Park to the west; Gateshead’s civic
functions in the central area; and east of Gateshead Highway lies
the Chandless Housing Estate, some declining and under– occupied
commercial premises and a number of cleared former industrial sites,
including the former Freightliner Depot site that is to be developed for
new family housing.
Key
Southern Gateway Key Development Site
Key Destinations
Public Realm Improvements
New / Improved Cycle Route
Junction / Crossing Improvements
New / Improved Public Space
Improved Ecological Area
Metro Station
Train Station
River
© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, Newcastle City Council 100019569 with Gateshead Council 100019132, 2010
76
5.8.2 Key Issues
5.8.3 The Opportunities for the Future
• Disconnected housing developments.
The Southern Gateway has the potential to deliver a major new urban • Pedestrian links between the former Freightliner Depot site and
neighbourhood for the Urban Core, linking with established suburban
Baltic Business Quarter to the north across Park Lane.
communities through a more urban housing configuration with the
retail, employment and leisure offers in the centre of the Urban Core. • Pedestrian links between Chandless Estate and Freightliner Depot
This will help to stitch the fragmented urban fabric between new
site.
housing neighbourhoods and Gateshead Centre back together, with
development of an urban character and the re-creation of streets as • Replace Gateshead Highway, it’s concrete viaduct, and associated
opposed to isolated pavilion buildings and roads/highways.
traffic infrastructure with a new ‘City Boulevard’ with improved east/
west connections for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.
It has the potential to provide a new type of housing offer to
complement that already in the Urban Core. One that enables a mixed • Reconnect Sunderland Road with High Street for pedestrians,
community (including families) to live in attractive, spacious and safe
cyclists and public transport.
accommodation, but in compact urban formats more common on the
continent and new to Tyneside.
• Demolish existing high rise blocks on the Chandless Estate and
Tynegate Precinct.
The potential for public parking facilities to be sited close to the
Redheugh Bridge, to link with public transport, and to reduce through • Create a new urban residential neighbourhood with public spaces
and cross river vehicle movements. There is also potential for similar
and pedestrian/cycle linkages.
facilities at the southern end of Gateshead Highway.
• The creation of ‘gateways’ at the points of entry into the sub area
to establish a sense of arrival into the Urban Core from the east,
The opportunity to reduce traffic dominance within the area, and also
west and south.
reduce the amount of through-traffic movements.
• A weak sense of arrival into the Urban Core from the east, west
and south.
• Traffic dominated highways that hinder (and in some instances,
sever) pedestrian and cycle movements.
• Large expanses of underused and vacant brownfield land.
• Areas of poor quality urban environment, both built form and public
realm.
• Underused and poorly connected open green spaces.
• Ensuring that new housing is genuine of an urban character and
form, as opposed to the more traditional housing types that will
only act to suburbanise this central part of the Urban Core.
• Providing a wider choice of homes in an urban format.
• Ensuring there is a provision of a mix of uses to support a thriving
new residential neighbourhood.
5.8.4 Interventions to Facilitate Change
Through new and distinctive high quality built form, introduce a sense
of arrival into the urban core.
Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
77
section six
Conclusion
section six
Conclusion
6.1 Summary
This framework brings together a number of pieces of work undertaken
by both Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council to allow for a
holistic analysis of all the issues relating to movement and placemaking
across the Urban Core of NewcastleGateshead. It has provided the
platform for discussing positive change, to ensure Newcastle City
Centre and Gateshead Centre is a competitive dynamic regional
capital and has started to identify the policy interventions required to
meet our ambitions.
The framework has considered the geography; historical development;
land use; built form, including heritage, landmarks and arrival points;
wildlife and ecology; and the public realm. The framework has
also looked at how we move around the Urban Core – pedestrian,
cycling, public transport and vehicles. It sets out the key movement
and transport principles for the future with a particular emphasis on
a walkable regional capital, defining cardinal routes that will improve
connections in our centres and to surrounding areas.
The framework has divided the Urban Core into eight sub areas – Civic
Quarter, Newcastle Central, Discovery Quarter, Ouseburn, Newcastle
Quayside Baltic Riverside, Gateshead Centre, and Southern Gateway
all of which have distinct roles, functions and characteristics. The
framework has identified the key issues and opportunities for the
future and the key development sites such as:
“Trinity Square redevelopment will
create a vibrant and sustainable
new town centre of high quality by
introducing a mix of uses including
a new Tesco Extra store and over 40
other retail units for shops, café’s,
restaurants and bars, residential
accommodation
for
close
to
1,000 students and approximately
2,500sq.m. of new office space; and a
new public square of over 1,400sq.m”
Science Central, East Pilgrim Street, Stephenson Quarter, Central
Station, Forth Yards, Ouseburn Valley, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead
Centre, and the Southern Gateway development site, together with
the interventions required to realise our ambitions.
In order to fully achieve our vision and objectives as set out at the
start of this framework, further work must be undertaken. This work
includes arrival points and gateways, landmark buildings and spaces,
key views and vistas and strategic routes and corridors. Outcomes of
these projects will help define quality of place principles for the Urban
Core.
The images opposite illustrate two examples of future developments
within the Urban Core, Trinity Square redevelopment situated in
Gateshead Town Centre and Stephenson Quarter located within
Newcastle City Centre.
80
“The Stephenson Quarter sits in a prominent position at the head of
the north escarpment to the Tyne gorge and contains a number of
historic buildings associated with the City’s important 19th century
railway industry including 20 South Street and the Stephenson
Workshops, built in 1824, which are the world’s first bespoke
locomotive works. The redevelopment will be constructed in 7 phases
including 2 Hotels, 40,000 sq m of offices, 155 flats, relocated royal
mail depot, art gallery space, retail, restaurants, car parking, public
spaces and landscaping”
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Urban Core Movement & Place Framework
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