Member Article

Former shipyard ready for development by offshore industries

The former Swan Hunter shipyard site is now open for development, as the Government sign off its local development order.

The new order, covering the former shipyard and adjoining land will allow a simplified planning process, so developers would not need to seek formal planning permission if their project meets specific criteria.

Qualifying projects must be within “priority” business sectors, including off-shore wind energy generation; tidal and wave technology; oil and gas exploration and extraction; and advance subsea manufacturing and technology.

Now an Enterprise Zone, the site includes five year business rates relief for businesses locating on or before March 31 2015.

It will also become one of five Centres for Offshore Renewable Engineering (CORE), with partnerships between Central and Local Government and LEPs adding support for businesses looking to invest in manufacturing for the offshore renewables industry.

Elected mayor, Linda Arkley said: “I am delighted that the government has agreed the Local Development Order and we can now offer employers keen to invest in the Swan Hunter site a simplified planning process.

“That will not only benefit our residents by helping to secure further jobs and apprenticeships for local people, but it will see my priority to grow business in the borough come to fruition.

“We are all working together to ensure the North Bank of the Tyne is a key hub in the development of the North East as Europe’s premier location for low carbon, sustainable growth, focused on the offshore and renewables sector.”

North Tyneside Council retains the freehold land ownership for the site and is now in negotiations with potential development partners for the provision of buildings, utilities, access improvements and dredging.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .