Member Article

North Tyneside regeneration on the agenda

A series of plans to revitalise the Tyne were revealed last week.

Politicians and business leaders met to discuss the plans, which aim to generate 10,000 jobs over the next 15 years by turning the Tyne into a world-leading hub for renewable energy and sub-sea industries.

Wallsend town centre will receive a facelift and 1000 new and affordable homes are to be built.

North East minister Nick Brown said: “The potential here is enormous. We are talking about several thousand jobs being created, with more coming in years to come.”

The regeneration of the North Bank of the Tyne focuses on a 10km stretch from Walker riverside to the Smiths Dock in North Shields. The area has been affected by the demise of shipbuilding and the closure of Swan Hunter in 2006.

The North Bank of the Tyne Project Board addressed the problem, bringing together Newcastle and North Tyneside Councils, regional development agency One North East and Newcastle East and Wallsend MP Mr Brown.

The emerging sub-sea and renewable energy sectors were identified as industries that could get the Tyne working again for generations to come.

Ray Thompson, energy business manager at One North East, said: “Offshore wind presents probably the UK’s largest economic development opportunity, and the whole region has the chance to benefit.

“The North Bank of the Tyne has the large sites with riverside access that are required to make the huge wind turbines which will be sited well off shore.”

Coun John Shipley, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The North Bank of the Tyne project uses existing and traditional skills in the local workforce to develop the most modern of industries, meeting our future energy needs and potentially bringing a huge boost to employment and our economy.

“Throughout our history our prosperity has been intrinsically linked to the river and there are few more suitable locations for projects like these than the banks of the Tyne.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .