Member Article

Byker Wall regeneration project enters final stages

Housing firm Keepmoat, working in partnership with the Byker Community Trust (BCT), is in the final stages of its £7m regeneration scheme of the iconic Byker Wall in Newcastle upon Tyne.

So far, works have included a full facelift of the ‘wall’ including re-roofing, cladding, windows and doors. The iconic ‘peaks’ to the summit of the wall have also been regenerated, restoring the building’s summit to its original Erskine vision.

David Ward, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat (Northern region), said: “We are well on our way to completing the regeneration works on the iconic Byker Wall and we’re very proud to receive such positive feedback from residents.

“This has at times been a challenging programme, with over 400 residents living in the wall itself; to receive 100% satisfaction is fantastic. All of our contractors offered to show identification to residents, so they could feel safe and rest assured that they knew who was carrying out the works.

He continued: “We pride ourselves in only working with the very best sub-contractors in the North East, so it’s encouraging to see we’ve got the seal of approval from residents who all agreed the team were respectful and safe whilst carrying out the works. The Byker Estate is an important part of local history and we’re absolutely thrilled to be involved in restoring it and safeguarding it for years to come.”

Jill Haley, Chief Executive of the BCT said: “At the time of transfer, we made a number of promises to tenants including significant investment to refurbish the Byker Wall. We have come a long way since then and are proud of our achievements.

“The refurbishment of the Byker Wall will make a real difference to residents living within the wall and I would like to thank all our partners involved in the project for helping to restore the wall in line with Ralph Erskine’s original plans.

“Feedback from residents has been very positive and we hope that once the works have been completed, these will help meet the lifestyle expectations of our customers. We are looking forward to finally unveiling the newly refurbished wall in the New Year.”

The 1.3 mile site, which is divided into nine blocks, is due for completion early 2016.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →