Go-ahead for regeneration
COUNCIL AGREES NEXT STAGE OF SHIELDS PLAN
THE £100m regeneration of South Shields town centre has taken another step forward.
A Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) granted by Secretary of State Damian Green has given South Tyneside Council the green light to acquire all remaining land and properties in the redevelopment area not currently under council ownership.
The South Shields 365 regeneration masterplan got underway last October with the opening of The Word, National Centre for the Written Word in the town centre.
For the next phases of the plan to proceed, the local authority needs to secure all land and property in the area not currently under their control.
Councillor Iain Malcolm, leader of South Tyneside Council, welcomed the news and believes the CPO is an endorsement of the authority’s plans.
He said: “We’re delighted that the Secretary of State has confirmed the Compulsory Purchase Order.
“This is an endorsement of the South Shields 365 masterplan as a credible, deliverable scheme that will inject renewed vitality and bring economic and social benefits to the town.
“Phase one, The Word, is proving phenomenally successful and bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors into the town centre and now we are looking forward to pressing ahead with the next stages which will complete the town’s journey of transformation.”
A Stopping Up Order, which will enable all the associated roads and highways work to go-ahead, has also been confirmed.
Planning permission has already been granted for the second phase of the £100m scheme, a state-of-theart transport interchange.
Outline planning permission has also been granted for the third phase of the development, a new retail and leisure development.
The granting of the CPO does not mean the land now automatically belongs to South Tyneside Council.
The authority is required to go through further legal processes to secure ownership and possession of properties.
Council bosses say landowners affected by the decision will be financially compensated for the value of their land or properties.
Coun Malcolm added: “The council has been working closely with owners and tenants to secure the land and properties it needs to facilitate the regeneration. We would always prefer to do this by negotiation but that has not been possible in all cases.”