Plans progress for thousands of new riverside homes around intu Metrocentre

Plans to create thousands of new homes around intu Metrocentre have taken a step closer this week.

Gateshead Council and design specialists Gillespies and Hemingway Design recently met with stakeholders interested in the project, known Metrogreen.

The authority is proposing to create homes, community facilities and new green spaces on the south bank of the Tyne.

Ideas discussed include a network of parks and spaces along the Tyne and Derwent rivers, and housing that would build on the success of The Staiths, a nearby scheme from Hemingway Design.

The consultation also discussed developing the leisure offer at intu Metrocentre.

Gateshead Council’s Cabinet Member for the Economy, Cllr John Adams, said: “The intu Metrocentre is an important regional asset, supporting the employment of over 11,000 people and with a footfall of 21 million annual visitors.

“It’s vital to everyone involved that the Metrocentre and the wider Metrogreen area gets the right type of investment so that it continues to thrive.”

He continued: “We are confident that the new homes and services planned for Metrogreen will sustain and grow employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner in this fantastic riverside location.”

Feedback from the meeting will be incorporated into a formal Metrogreen masterplan in the coming months.