You can still have a bigger ground
City chief says St James’ Park expansion would not be restricted as vast plan approved
A HUGE transformation of Strawberry Place that will dramatically alter the Newcastle skyline has been approved.
Councillors have given the green light to £120m development plans for land next to St James’ Park, despite a massive backlash from Newcastle United supporters.
Fans have complained that the gigantic housing, office and hotel blocks will obscure views of the iconic football stadium and prevent any future expansion of the Gallowgate End.
But the council’s cabinet member for employment and culture, Coun Ged Bell, promised that any plans the club may have to expand in future would not be restricted by the development.
Newcastle City Council’s planning committee voted by a margin of seven to three in support of the scheme on Friday.
Greg Tomlinson, of the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, told a hearing at the Mansion House that an extension of the stadium was not needed now but could be in future with a “successful and ambitious Newcastle United”.
He told city councillors: “Do you want to be the committee that, in 10 or 20 years, is the reason Newcastle United is forced to move out of the city centre and pursue a new stadium at Leazes Park or the Town Moor?”
Mr Tomlinson added that he believed a solution could be found to develop the land, which already had planning permission for a smaller student housing development, but that this was not the answer.
Councillors had earlier rejected a request from the trust to defer the plans by a month to allow for scrutiny of 106 new documents submitted by the developer just this week, after planning officers said they were only dealing with “very minor” details.
Newcastle Central Labour candidate Chi Onwurah, one of 1,710 objectors to the plans, said that Newcastle United and St James’ Park have “far more economic, cultural, and social benefit than any one development”.
She said St James’ Park is “an essential part of our identity which we need to protect”, adding: “The idea that the ground could move out of the city means that we would lose an iconic symbol of our city.”
Ms Onwurah also urged the council to listen to Metro operator Nexus and not close off the potential expansion of the rail network out of St James’ into the West End, though the council said that extending the existing rail tunnel had already been ruled out.
Speaking on behalf of the developers, Helios Investment Partners and Marrico Asset Management
LLP, Helen Marks told the committee that the “high quality” project would bring a massive cash investment to the city and 1,200 jobs.
She added that the Strawberry Place site has long been earmarked as a site for development that could accommodate tall buildings.
Responding to concerns over the proposed £9m sale of the site from football club owner Mike Ashley, Ms Marks said the sale reflects market value and that the developer could not dictate how Mr Ashley spends that money.
She added that the developer has a strong track record of investing in the North East and that not allowing the building scheme to go ahead would be a “missed opportunity” for Newcastle.
Gosforth councillor Henry Gallagher, a NUFC season ticket holder, said he was not convinced that future residents of the housing blocks would enjoy a good quality of life and raised fears that matchday noise complaints could lead to the football club being slapped with a “ridiculous” noise abatement order.
Coun Paula Holland also raised concerns about the impact on residents’ lives of 52,000 football fans descending on the area.
Council planning officers, who had recommended the scheme for approval prior to the meeting, said that the public benefits of the development would outweigh any harm it caused. The plans comprise a 21-storey building with 204 apartments inside, a 12-storey office block, a 13-storey hotel with 200 bedrooms, and a residential building of 10 floors with 124 flats.
They told councillors that the size of the development was “appropriate” and that “glimpse” views of St James’ Park would be retained from key locations including the Tyne Bridge.
Councillors were also told that relocating the Sir Bobby Robson Memorial Garden to above the St James’ Metro station would allow it to become more of an area for “quiet reflection” than the existing garden is.
The council’s cabinet member for employment and culture, Coun Ged Bell, said: “I recognise the opposition to this scheme but planning committee has considered all the arguments for and against very carefully. These buildings are taller than originally planned but you will still be able to see St James Park from parts of the city.
“Also I am very pleased to see improvements for users of the St James Park Metro station.
“Any plans the club may have to expand in future will not be restricted by this development.
“This £120m investment will bring significant benefits to the city - apartments, offices, hotel, new public spaces and better access to a tricky site. Most importantly it will create 200 construction jobs and a further 1,200 other jobs giving the city’s economy a welcome boost.
“Personally, I think it will be better to have the Bobby Robson Memorial Garden closer to St James’ Park, and I think many of the fans will agree.”