Delivery of new homes to old freight depot in Gateshead

After lying vacant for over 25 years, one of the most historic sites in Gateshead - the former Freight Depot, just off the Felling Bypass, will now be redeveloped, with 270 new homes being built over the next five years.

The Gateshead Regeneration Partnership (GRP) is responsible for overcoming all the challenges that the site posed, including clearing abandoned old railway workings and remediating the former industrial land ready for redevelopment. Now, a final injection of cash from Homes England, the Government’s housing body - has enabled work to begin.

GRP is a joint venture involving Gateshead Council, regeneration and house building specialist Countryside Partnerships (formerly named Vistry Partnerships), and registered housing provider Home Group. It is driving a £350m initiative to create around 1,500 new homes on 16 sites across the borough.

The Freight Depot site is one of the biggest the partnership will develop in Gateshead, and it will be transformed into 270 properties for sale, private and affordable rent.

Countryside Partnerships’ house building brand, Linden Homes, will market the 165 homes for sale, Home Group will offer 25 for affordable rent, while private rented sector homes specialist, Sigma Capital, will market 80 of the new units for private rent under its build-to-rent brand, Simple Life.

The development will also be the first housing scheme to be connected to Gateshead’s District Heating Network - a new, low carbon (soon to be zero carbon) energy centre which generates both heat and power locally, via a new 5km underground network of heat pipes. 

GRP’s objectives are more than just building houses. As well as improving housing quality and choice, it continues to provide job and training opportunities a minimum of 25 percent of which go to local people - and an economic uplift, with a quarter of the supply budget committed to be spent with businesses within the borough.

Here, 18 jobs will be safeguarded and 15 apprenticeships created. The Freight Depot scheme will also offer more than 300 work experience, skills and training opportunities for local young people. Also, the thoughtfully designed layout will incorporate a community hub and attractive landscaping - including open spaces and green access routes through the site - for both pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy.

Dave Brown, managing director with Countryside Partnerships North East, said: “We are delighted to be on the verge of delivering this ambitious mixed tenure development close to the centre of Gateshead.

“A landmark project for the partnership, the Freight Depot follows successful projects that have created over 423 homes in Birtley, Deckham, Rowlands Gill, Windy Nook and Saltwell, where our Trilogy I development was chosen as the country’s Best Regeneration Project of more than 71 homes, at the 2018 Inside Housing Awards.”

Councillor John Adams, the Council’s cabinet member for Housing, said “It is fantastic to finally get this ambitious development in the heart of Gateshead underway. Regenerating an unused brownfield site into much needed homes to meet local housing need will not only improve choice and availability, but deliver an economic uplift for the town centre nearby.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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