Quayside flats plan controversy
Plans for a 14-storey apartment block on plot 12 of the Newcastle Quayside
COUNCIL bosses have been accused of silencing residents who are fighting against a controversial Newcastle Quayside flats plan.
Developers’ hopes of building a 14-storey apartment block on one of the last remaining undeveloped plots of land on the Quayside have been met with a huge backlash from neighbours, who fear it will ruin views of the Tyne and add to traffic chaos in the area.
But Newcastle City Council has now come under fire over its handling of the ‘plot 12’ plans, after it emerged that the local authority failed to publish any of the dissenting views.
More than 70 residents of the neighbouring St Ann’s and High Quays buildings alone had lodged objections as of last Monday, but none were on the council’s website – giving the appearance there was no opposition to the contentions plans at all.
Ouseburn councillor Gareth Kane said the situation was “very worrying”, while heritage organisation the Northumberland and Newcastle Society raised concerns over the transparency of the council’s decision-making.
The local authority blamed the failures on the introduction of new software for its redesigned planning website, but admitted it did not “meet our high standards of transparency”.
Coun Kane said: “I was concerned about the poor consultation because the developers only ran one event and then changed the application substantially before the planning application was submitted. That was the first instance of residents being locked out of this process.
“But now the new planning portal has proved very difficult to use. It is very difficult to find an application
unless you have the exact reference number and it is very worrying objections are not being published on there.”
Newcastle and Northumberland Society chairman John Matthews warned that the building would “blight this environment for generations” if approved and complained that trying to object to it had been “an extremely difficult and long-winded process”.
Tim Wickens, who chairs the group’s Tyneside committee, added: “I understand the council is under a lot of pressure in terms of ensuring that development does go ahead to support the economy.
“But the North East needs to value what it has got. If it loses its heritage through short-sighted decisions it will be very disappointing for everyone in the region because some of our greatest treasures could be lost.”
Objections have since been uploaded to the website after The Chronicle contacted the council.
A council spokesman said: “We recently changed the software that operates the council’s planning portal to improve efficiency and make it better for the public.”
After also citing logistical problems due to home-working changes, he added: “We accept this does not meet our high standards of transparency, however, we expect all comments on current applications to be uploaded in the next few days and all representations for future applications to be uploaded for public inspection much more quickly.
“We would like to reiterate that while we have received a planning application for apartments at Plot 12 on the Quayside, consultation is still open to the public and all views will be taken into account. The application will be scrutinised in detail before it is presented to the planning committee for a decision.”