Newcastle in top 10 for UK growth

ham High and Churchill Community College, both North Tyneside – in September. It is then hoped to roll it out to more schools and to colleges and universities in 2019.

Groups including the North East Chamber of Commerce and the CBI have been involved in the development of the programme to ensure major employers give it their backing.

The CBI’s regional director, Sarah Glendinning, said: “CBI is delighted to be working with the North East LEP and the Edge Foundation on this ground-breaking project. It is building on the transformational work of the Gatsby Career Benchmark pilot, that has been driven by the North East LEP and is now core to the Government’s careers strategy.

“What is most exciting is that this pioneering approach has employability at its core. It is a combination of making sure students really understand the world of work by putting industry-led projects at the heart of the curriculum, and making learning in school relevant to the workplace.

“It is about raising students’ aspirations, equipping them with the skills employers are looking for and preparing them for further and higher education, apprenticeships NEWCASTLE has been ranked among the Top 10 city centres in the UK for growth in the 21st century.

The city has been ranked 7th for jobs and population growth in its city centre, joining a number of Northern areas in being praised by the Centre for Cities for their “dramatic” transformation.

The think tank’s report shows that the population of Newcastle more than doubled between 2002 and 2015, growing by 112%. Job numbers, meanwhile, grew by 29% between 1998 and 2015.

That growth put Newcastle ahead of cities like Cardiff, Brighton and Norwich, while London was ranked only 20th in the list.

Manchester topped the list of city centre growth, followed by Leeds and Birmingham.

But the Centre for Cities has warned that urban resurgence in places like Newcastle could be undermined by planning policies that prioritise residential development over commercial space in city centres.

The think tank said the policy of allowing commercial space to be converted for residential use without planning permission was a threat to attracting firms and jobs to city centres, and urged the Government to allow cities more scope to protect commercial centres and and their future careers.

“And this is pioneering work is happening here in the North East.”

Craig Taylor, Excelsior Academy’s executive principal, said: “This could be a significant, potentially office space.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “This urban renaissance has brought opportunities for people living across these cities and their surrounding areas, and it’s vital that it continues. But for that to happen, cities need to take tough decisions on how to sustain the growth of their commercial centres, while also providing the homes their residents need.

“Reforming planning laws to protect the commercial heart of cities – and to encourage more housebuilding in other areas – will help cities to manage these competing demands, and to continue to prosper in future.” transformative project for Excelsior Academy. If we are going to continue trying to impact positively on our pupils’ lives, we need to look at what we offer and how we present it to them.”