Hopes raised for thousands of jobs
MILLIONS TO BE PLOUGHED INTO SCHEMES REGIONWIDE
MORE than 4,000 jobs could be created and another 3,500 safeguarded after the Government backed 18 schemes around the region with £47m from its infrastructure fund.
The schemes include projects to improve town and city centres, put the North East at the forefront of the green recovery and boost key employment sites.
High-profile projects such as the Gateshead Quays convention centre and the Aykley Heads business park in Durham have been backed, along with town centre regeneration schemes in Newcastle, North Shields and Bedlington.
There’s also backing for a new landing area for the Tyne ferry at the North Shields Fish Quay, plans to improve the digital infrastructure of the city centre and riverside area of Sunderland, better cycling and pedestrian links around Gateshead town centre and investment in a planned energy park at Blyth.
The NU: Futures scheme, which sees the Newcastle United Foundation turning a site close to St James’ Park into a community and sports hub, has also won funding.
The projects are part of the £900m Getting Building Fund, which was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in June to support “shovelready” housing and infrastructure projects.
It is hoped the schemes will create 1,839 construction jobs, 2,253 other jobs and safeguard 3,551 positions in the North East.
Helen Golightly, chief executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The £47m from Government’s Getting Building Fund will give the North East economy the boost it needs to continue our region’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
“To extend the reach of the fund and ensure more projects can be delivered in the North East LEP area, we have released an additional £8m from the North East Investment Fund to increase this fund to £55m.
“The ‘shovel-ready’ projects put forward for the North East LEP area include infrastructure works at Enterprise Zone sites in Northumberland, Newcastle and Sunderland; property development schemes in
Durham, South Shields and Newcastle; and vital transport and infrastructure works in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North Shields and Northumberland.
“We’re also looking to further strengthen the North East’s green energy sector by investing in new facilities at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth and InTEGReL in Gateshead.”
A Nexus spokesperson said: “It’s great news that our plans to build a new Shields Ferry landing at North Shields Fish Quay have been shortlisted for funding. We will be submitting a full business case to the Local Enterprise Partnership in September.
“The proposed new ferry landing would be located in the Fish Quay regeneration area, and we’ll be consulting with local businesses and residents on this as we build our detailed business case.
“The scheme has the potential to be transformative for the local area and will help to secure the long-term future of the cross-Tyne Shields Ferry service.”
There was also £17.4m in funding for three schemes in the Tees Valley.
The North East England Chamber of Commerce said the funding was welcome but more would be needed in the Government’s autumn spending review.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said: “As we get Britain building we are also laying the foundations for a green economic recovery by investing in vital infrastructure for local communities, creating jobs and building environmentallyfriendly homes with a huge £1.3bn investment announced today. This
Helen Golightly government is determined to level up all parts of the country and this funding will not only give a muchneeded boost to our economic recovery, it will help build the goodquality, affordable homes the country needs.”
The approved projects in the North East are:
■ Aykley Heads business park, Durham;
■ Tyne Dock Enterprise Park, South Shields;
■ InTEGReL innovation and demonstration facility, Gateshead (two projects);
■ Tyne Ferry landing renewal and relocation, North Shields;
■ North Shields town centre regeneration;
■ Newcastle city centre transformation (phase two);
■ Next generation digital connectivity and riverside Sunderland Strategic Infrastructure Works;
■ Robotics and Autonomous Systems Test and Validation Centre, Blyth;
■ Gateshead Quays essential infrastructure;
■ Northumberland Energy Park, Blyth;
■ Bedlington town centre regeneration scheme;
■ The Glassworks office development, South Shields;
■ Newcastle United scheme;
■ Car park and solar energy project linked to the Gateshead Quays conference and exhibition centre;
■ Hillthorn Enterprise Zone energy infrastructure works, Sunderland;
■ Commercial property investment fund pilot project;
■ Wallsend Enterprise Zone site
Futures