Forth Yards secures £120m funding
The government has signed off on a package that will fund remediation, groundworks, and infrastructure activity at the 51-acre Newcastle brownfield site, which will eventually accommodate up to 2,500 homes, public realm, and commercial space.
Quayside West lies within the Forth Yards site and is one of its largest parcels of land, with capacity for around 1,100 homes.
Despite its central location next to the station, complex land issues have so-far prevented the site from being developed.
With the £121.8m package, Homes England will now be able to crack on with works at the site, with the next step being the appointment of a private sector delivery partner in the next few months.
Quayside West was acquired by Homes England in 2024, and once developed will serve as a new western gateway for the city.
The government agency is working alongside the North East Combined Authority, Newcastle City Council, and Network Rail on the regeneration scheme, which is being supported by Avison Young.
FaulknerBrowns is the lead architect on the project.
In total, it is expected the scheme will cost £950m and include up to 161,500 sq ft of commercial space.
The news today follows the recent government announcement on Forth Goods Yard, another parcel of land at Forth Yards, being one of the first regeneration opportunities to be brought forward as part of the creation of Platform4, a property company focused on transforming rail-led land through the creation of new homes and neighbourhoods.
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, said: “This derelict land is in a great location on the banks of the Tyne yet has stood mostly unused for 20 years, which is a huge waste of potential.
“That’s why we promised to transform areas like this and now that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’ve secured funding so we can get the last brownfield site in Newcastle city centre ready to start building the homes that local people need.
“This won’t be a vast estate, where people can’t access the services they need, but a thriving community with great transport links, green spaces, and shops.
“We’re driving the transformation our region needs – from brownfield to beautiful – and today we’re announcing a huge step towards achieving that here at Forth Yards.”
Matthew Pennycook, housing and planning minister, said: “This government has a brownfield first approach to development, and we want to see previously used land prioritised wherever possible.
“We are acting to make it easier to build homes on abandoned, disused, and neglected urban brownfield sites across the country – boosting housing supply, regenerating communities, and delivering economic growth.”
Leader of Newcastle City Council, cllr Karen Kilgour, said: “This is fantastic news and shows the Government share our vision for the area.
“Forth Yards is arguably Newcastle’s most exciting development site, that in time will provide thousands of new homes and create hundreds of jobs.
“The funding will act as catalyst for development, allowing us to bring forward infrastructure improvements that will open up the site to attract much-needed private sector investment.
“In about 15 years it will have created a whole new part of the city to the west and provided a new community for our residents while adding significantly to our economy.”
Pat Ritchie, chair of Homes England, said: “This significant investment in Forth Yards demonstrates the agency’s commitment to transforming previously undeveloped brownfield sites into thriving communities.
“By working in partnership with Newcastle City Council, the North East Combined Authority, and Network Rail, we’re addressing the complex challenges that have held back this strategically important site for decades.
“The new funding package will unlock the potential for thousands of new homes right in the heart of Newcastle, supporting the government’s mission of building 1.5 million homes this parliament.”
Robin Dobson, group property director, Network Rail said: “As Network Rail Property bring forward planning submission for the first phase of Forth Yards with up to 600 homes this year, we welcome this financial commitment to unlock the wider Forth Yards estate delivering a further 2,500 homes.
“Forth Goods Yard has been landlocked for decades and the combined efforts of Network Rail Property, Homes England, and Newcastle City Council we will enable the transformation of this strategically important site for generations to come.”
Developers interested in helping Homes England at Forth Yards can get in touch at [email protected].
