Member Article

Developers set to reveal £100 million South Shields town centre plans

The developers behind a £100 million redevelopment of South Shields town centre are set to consult the public on their plans next week.

South Tyneside Council and its development partner, Muse Developments will hold a public consultation, where plans for the first stages of development will be exhibited.

In advance of submitting any planning application, local residents, businesses and interested parties are invited to consult with the development team and their architects for the scheme, who will be able to answer questions about the initial plans and on the future development of South Shields Town Centre as a whole.

The £100 million investment will mean improvements are made to all aspects of community life - from the shopping and leisure offer, to the way people travel to, from and around the town centre.

Marking the start of a bright future for South Shields Town Centre, phase one of the redevelopment will see the construction of a new Central Library and Digital Media Centre near Ferry Street on the Riverside, as well as improvements to the adjacent Market Place. Work could begin as soon as January 2015.

Leader of South Tyneside Council, Councillor Iain Malcolm expressed his excitement at the tremendous potential inherent in South Shields and the plans for the town’s future.

He said: “Now that the first phases of the plans are nearing completion and we move towards submitting planning applications, we’re about to make the first steps to ensure that our town’s potential is realised.

“Our vision for South Shields Town Centre is to make it a place of year-round cultural, leisure and retail activity for residents, businesses and visitors. We recognise the need to offer an experience that people cannot get on the Internet or at out-of-town retail parks.

“The initial phase of our plan – the new Central Library and Digital Media Centre, and improved Market Place – directly addresses these issues by providing an innovative multi-media centre equipped with the latest technology and community facilities, which will be a destination for our residents and visitors to the borough.”

David Wells, development director at Muse Developments, agreed that the inherent sense of community in South Shields has already had a significant impact on the development of the plans for the town.

He said: “The sense of community in South Shields is second to none and the new Library and transformation of the Market Place will provide excellent platforms on which the community can thrive. The space will be mixed use with new retail opportunities as well as cultural and learning spaces with facilities for community groups and organisations of all ages to enjoy.”

“Furthermore the development of the space will make it more accessible to both the town centre, the Foreshore and the Riverside, which is a priority in the over all plan for the town. Collectively these three areas provide a broad and exciting offer of commercial, leisure, cultural and retail opportunities for residents, visitors and businesses.

“This mix gives South Shields a unique offer, unrivalled amongst other coastal towns of a similar size in the North East and these plans will capitalise on that.

“We’re excited to welcome people to the consultation next week and look forward to hearing what the community thinks about the plans so far.”

The consultation will take place at 2.30pm – 7.00pm Thursday June 5 2014 and 12.00pm – 4.00pm Saturday June 7 2014 in South Shields’ Central Library, Prince Georg Square.

To keep up to date and give feedback on the regeneration of South Shields Town Centre the South Shields 365 website: www.southshields365progress.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .