First steps for 100-acre Port of Tyne development

Fairhurst Group has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment for a proposed hub for advanced manufacturing and the renewables sector, on land north of the River Tyne next to the Royal Quays in North Tyneside.

The proposed development covers four land zones across approximately 107.5 acres, as well as some maritime space, which will be used for a mix of industrial and commercial uses.

Part of a wider regeneration strategy for the Port’s Northside, the site is intended to support future growth in offshore renewables, marine industries, and advanced engineering sectors.

Located about 2.7km inland from the North Sea, the site is bordered by the River Tyne to the south and residential and industrial areas on other sides. It includes:

• Zone 1 – Around 52 acres of undeveloped, former industrial land.

• Zone 2 – Approximately six acres, including the recently demolished Soccerdome site, adjacent to Newcastle Quays Shopping Centre.

• Zone 3 – Around five acres previously occupied by the former Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Park.

• Zone 4 – About 44.5 acres currently home to various commercial operations, including aggregates, chemicals, and vehicle import businesses, as well as quayside areas.

For its next steps, the Port of Tyne will submit a hybrid planning application to North Tyneside Council seeking full planning permission for enabling works such as site clearance, ground preparation, and installation of utilities across all zones, as well as for quay and dredging works to support offshore wind-related uses.

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Outline permission will also be sought for the longer-term development of high-quality industrial and commercial areas suitable for advanced engineering, renewable energy, marine, and offshore technology sectors.

This approach aims to allow ground improvement and preparation to begin ahead of confirming specific end users, enabling the site to be made market-ready and flexible for future investment.

The Port of Tyne also plans to redevelop parts of its marine infrastructure, including the Ocean Berth, Tyne Tanker Berth, and Whitehill Point, again to expand capacity for the offshore renewables sector.

The location is considered to have strong potential for development due to its existing infrastructure, connectivity, and proximity to marine facilities.

This development follows hot on the heels of another major port announcement made in September, when the £150m, 230-acre Tyne Clean Energy Park was launched.

TCEP will add 400 metres of deep-water quayside to support offshore renewables and advanced manufacturing, will create around 12,000 jobs and add £5.6bn to the economy, as well as adding to the North East’s ambitions to be at the forefront of the UK’s green energy efforts.

WSP has led on the planning for the project, which will include a kilometre of new and redeveloped deep-water, heavy lift quay for the use of the site, which will be located within an Industrial Strategy Zone.