Focus on Footfall for Regeneration

South Tyneside Council is entering a new phase of regeneration with a renewed vision for the Borough.

Following a decade of success delivering a raft of schemes across South Tyneside, the focus of plans has shifted in response to the global pandemic and Brexit.

The council is prioritising projects that will generate jobs and boost the local economy but will only proceed where they are both financially viable and sustainable in the long-term.

The Glassworks, a proposed four storey office development on Harton Quays Park, South Shields, that would have been net zero carbon in construction and use, will therefore no longer go ahead. Tenders for the project, which would have been measured against UK Green Building Council targets for 2030, have come significantly above pre-tender estimates due to increasing building and material costs being experienced across the country post-Brexit.

The council has been hugely successful in attracting millions of pounds of external funding for a range of other schemes projects in the area, including £1.85m of Brownfield Land Release Funding at Holborn Riverside, a further £9.4m from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for the delivery of a future phase of office accommodation at Holborn and £6m from the Future High Street Fund to acquire land and property needed to facilitate the delivery of up to 200 new homes within walking distance of the town centre.

Alongside South Tyneside College, the council is awaiting a decision on bids for Department for Education and Levelling Up funding to relocate the college to South Shields town centre.

Cllr Mark Walsh, Lead Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: "The world has changed, and that means it's time to take a fresh look at our plans.

"Projects are now more expensive - Brexit and supply issues mean tenders come back higher than originally anticipated. Residents and businesses would rightly criticise us if we stuck rigidly to plans that risk being undeliverable or unsustainable.

"We've also known for some time that the high street that is centred solely around traditional retail is a thing of the past, and Covid has hugely accelerated that decline.

"The pandemic has given us the opportunity to re-evaluate our plans so that they can be flexible and adaptable to the changing nature of town centres and the market."

The council will focus on unlocking land for redevelopment and creating the environment and infrastructure for private sector investment, in line with its key priorities of investing in the natural and built environment, creating the conditions for recovery and investment and supporting town centres and villages.

Cllr Walsh added: "Increasing footfall is still paramount - we're looking at various ways to do this, through increasing the residential population, hospitality and the potential college move.

"We're acquiring land and properties, carrying out demolitions and getting sites 'shovel ready' so that they are even more attractive to mixed-use investors.

"We're working with our regional and private sector partners to attract the right kind of industry and get the right infrastructure in place."

The Word and transport interchange are major successes which have changed the face of South Shields and generated private sector confidence to invest. In Hebburn, major housing schemes and Hebburn Central have increased footfall and opened up opportunities for future development. In Jarrow, public and private sector investment complement the town centre offer with Viking Shopping Centre and nearby Jarrow Focus.

Over recent years the council has invested significantly in public buildings and facilities across all three towns, futureproofing the facilities that people rely on.

Now the council is continuing to build on those foundations by focusing on what is deliverable before bringing forward a longer-term strategy for growth.

Cllr Walsh continued: "This isn't about buildings, it is about people and creating jobs, growth and opportunities.

"We want to bring residents and businesses on the journey with us and will consult on future plans as they evolve.

"Regeneration is a gradual process, it doesn't happen overnight, but the Borough is undergoing a transformation and there is a lot to be positive about."

 For further information about regeneration in South Tyneside, visit https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/66626/Regeneration