GALLERY | Plans in for Forth Goods Yard
Blocwork and government property agency Platform 4 have applied to build 514 BTR apartments, a 650-space MSCP, and the conversion of 17 railway arches into commercial space on Network Rail’s disused yard near the train station in Newcastle.
The 12-acre site sits within the wider 52-acre, £128m Forth Yards scheme, which will bring around 2,500 homes to the city centre and includes a high-line park on an old railway viaduct, designed to mirror the one in New York.
Designed by 5plus and supported by Lichfields, the site is being brought forward by Blocwork, a joint venture between Network Rail and developer Bloc, and Platform4, a government agency combining the efforts of London & Continental Railways and Network Rail’s property team.
If approved, work could start as early as September, with completion earmarked for March 2032.
Fresh images of the proposed development were included in the application, which was shaped by a public consultation that ended in November.
Click on any image to enlarge
- This CGI shows the proposed BTR housing and the high-line park. Credit: Blocwork
- Credit: Blocwork
The proposed MSCP will be located at the south-eastern corner of the site with access directly from Pottery Lane.
It will contain 18 floors with 655 car parking spaces, comprising 649 spaces for rail users and six spaces for the residential development, consisting of three accessible and three car club spaces. Thirty five electric vehicle charging spaces will be provided.
In terms of the residential blocks, block one will be located at the south-western corner of the site, with Pottery Lane to the south and the Redheugh Bridge lying to the west.
Designs show it will be six storeys and will be U-shaped with a central courtyard facing west.
Block two will be located in the northern part of the Forth Goods Yard site, between Platform Park to the south and the Forth Banks Viaduct to the north.
Comprising 334 one- and two-bed apartments and 18 two- and three-bed townhouses, it has been designed with two 14-storey tower elements that are linked by eight-storey podiums on each side.
The railway arches will mainly be converted into retail use, with some used as, for example, bin storage for the apartments or pedestrian access across the site.
Nick Legget, Development Director at blocwork, said: “We’re proud to submit our plans to regenerate Forth Goods Yard and would like to thank the community for their engagement with our consultation.
“Our plans will transform this strategic site into a new community, creating hundreds of new, high-quality homes alongside new green space and a public highline offering new connections between the city centre, station and Forth Goods Yard for residents in Newcastle.”
Kevin McGinley, development director for Platform4, said: “The delivery of new homes neighbouring major city centre transport hubs like Newcastle Central is a key driver for investment in the region, and it supports the government’s housing agenda.
“Our plans revive a site which has been disused for decades and by developing housing and public space, Forth Goods Yard has the potential to kickstart a broader transformation, which could create up to 2,500 new homes across the wider site and set a new aspiration for City-wide growth.”
