Dream of a Great town centre turns sour for residents
FAMILIES who say they were “sold a dream” of a town centre when they moved to Newcastle’s Great Park have hit out after more than 10 years of it failing to materialise.
Development on the “sustainable community”, which is ultimately planned to have 4,500 homes, started in 2001 by housing companies Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey.
But despite more than 2,000 homes being built so far, residents who have been living on the development for up to 12 years have spoken of their frustrations that there is still no sign of a promised “high street”.
Now Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey have said they are still committed to “delivering a full range of services” to the community.
John Atkinson said he and his wife were “promised shops imminently” when they moved to Great Park with their son Jack two years ago.
The 34-year-old said: “We were sold the dream when we moved here, we were told there was going to be a town centre, pubs and possibly a doctors’ surgery.
“There are residents who have lived here much longer who were told exactly the same thing.
“About a third of the reason we wanted to live here was because of the shops and amenities, which still aren’t here.”
Julie Wilson has lived on the Melbury development of Great Park for 12 years and claims when she moved builders “promised within a few years that there would be shops, pubs and a major supermarket like Waitrose on land nearby”.
And David Shaw, 40, has spoken of his disappointment after he and his wife Lyndsey “were sold the wonderful picture of a town centre by spring/summer 2012” when they moved in December 2011.
He said “The artist impressions looked fantastic and we were really looking forward to this in the near future. It really helped us make the decision to buy as it was a dream lifestyle, once the houses were all finished.
“Now here we are coming up to spring 2018 and still no sign of any shops or facilities at all never mind a town centre.”
An article by the Chronicle in October 2005 detailed the vision for the town centre and said it is hoped it would be built by 2010. A sign at the entrance to the estate also promoted plans for a “vibrant town centre”.
A spokesperson for Persimmon said: “The consortium responsible for the development of Newcastle Great Park is committed to delivering a full range of services to the new and growing community. As such, the primary school, sports pitches and community centres were established as a priority and formed part of the early phases of construction.
“And, while we are sensitive to the needs and requirements of people living in the completed phases of the development, there is a range of commercial considerations involved in creating a high street-style area featuring shops, cafes and a public house.
“Commercial agents are in place and have been communicating with various commercial operators and we are confident that as the Great Park community becomes more established it will offer valuable opportunities for those kinds of businesses to develop the town centre as envisaged.
“We hope to be in a position to announce shortly of a tenant in one of the units, however there are still some further details to finalise.”