NECA signs off funding for flagship projects

July’s North East Combined Authority meeting has approved support for Newcastle’s Forth Yards, Sunderland’s Crown Works film studio project and £100m of transport spending.

Transport

Mayor Kim McGuinness and the NECA cabinet rubber-stamped a series of investments across bus, rail, ferry and metro schemes, as well as approving the region’s plans for its city regional sustainable transport settlement (CRSTS).

Key projects approved include:

• £4.58m to safeguard the future of the Shields Ferry and fund a new north landing in North Shields – the remaining investment will be funded through the region’s CRSTS.
• £8.6m on a business case to extend the Metro to Washington and begin work on re-opening the southern section of the Leamside Line running from Washington to Ferryhill in County Durham.
• Bus service improvement plan funding – £60.81m (revenue) and £40.47m (capital) to deliver schemes including affordable fares and cheaper multi-modal day tickets, improvements to bus stops, a new public transport website and app, and enhancements to bus services region-wide.
• The North East CRSTS programme which details plans to invest £181m (inclusive of overprogramming) and £346m of funding for highways maintenance (both subject to government approval at a later date).

North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “I am determined to make the North East the home of real opportunity and to do that, we must invest in our transport infrastructure so we can meet the needs of local people and connect our communities like never before.”

The Mayor and cabinet also agreed to progress with the next step of the process to bring buses back into public control, preparing a franchising scheme assessment in line with a manifesto pledge and following regions such as West Yorkshire.

The Leamside Line has not yet progressed enough to fall victim to cuts to the Restoring Your Railway programme. Although the proposed Ferryhill station is thought to be affected, McGuinness said it could be factored in when the Leamside project comes on stream.

Forth Yards

The 50-acre brownfield site, on the banks of the River Tyne, could bring 2,500 homes to Newcastle and is regarded as the city’s flagship residential project.

The project now has a £5m funding boost which will allow site preparation works to begin.

Viability challenges, access constraints and infrastructure requirements have prevented the private sector from bringing it forward for years, but NECA, Newcastle City Council, Network Rail and Homes England have been working collaboratively to drive forward delivery.

In February, Homes England announced the acquisition of Quayside West, the largest plot of land on Forth Yards, in a bid to kickstart the development.

Global investor Hines agreed in April to forward-fund a 519-home BTR development at the site in an endorsement of the work done to advance the scheme.

Once complete, the area will deliver homes, office and commercial space, education and health facilities, and community spaces including a ‘high line’ park.

McGuinness said: “As Mayor I will not sit back and let scrub land sit idle when our towns and cities are crying out for a new lease of life.

“I will drive forward the transformation our region needs – so we go from brownfield to beautiful; from empty to thriving; and create communities where people flourish.“

Crown Works Studios

NECA has signed off £25m to allow the start of preparatory works for the 1.7m sq ft film and TV production complex on the banks of the Wear.

Planning consent was secured in March by partners Cain International and Fulwell73. Sunderland City Council is a strategic partner.

It is hoped that the completed development will create up to 8,450 jobs across the North East by 2033 – although media production is a hotly contested sector, with different regions advancing projects, the hope is that the development and its supply chain grows over the next 10 years, to add up to £2bn to the region’s economy.

Alison Gwynn, chief executive of North East Screen, said:

“The North East is currently the fastest growing region in the UK for film and TV production and has seen an 86% increase over the past two years with 2024 already set to create even more jobs for local people.

“The Crown Works Studios development will supercharge the North East to become an international film and TV production hotspot, where world class content for global audiences is made all year round.”

4D, Lichfields and Hydrock now Stantec are advising on Crown Works. Credit: 4D Studio Architects