Delay for Newcastle’s Health Innovation Neighbourhood
A planning application for the first building to be constructed at Newcastle University’s £500m scheme has been withdrawn.
The Digitally Enabled Hub for Care Everywhere was going to be the gateway building into the development, on Westgate Road.
Built on the former General Hospital site, the masterplan consists of 350,000 sq ft of R&D facilities, 350,000 sq ft of business, employment, and education space, 100,000 sq ft of NHS and other health-related facilities, and 1,250 new homes, up to 15% of which will be affordable.
Developer Genr8 Kajima Regeneration is working alongside Newcastle University to deliver the scheme, which will focus on turning the site into a world-class centre for R&D into wellbeing and ageing.
GSSArchitecture has designed the project, including the £45m DigECarE building which was due to complete by 2026.
A spokesperson for the university said it was continuing to work on ideas for the building, which had been designed as a research facility for how digital technology can improve care, alongside community facilities such as a café.
It is understood that different funding options are being explored.
In the meantime, demolition for phase one of the site is still on track to be complete by autumn.
