The revival of Grade II listed Georgian townhouses in North Shields is being widened to include two more properties.
A scheme to redevelop former offices at 13-16 Northumberland Square into 28 luxury homes was already well-advanced before Covid-19, and work has resumed on site with strict social distancing in place.
North Tyneside Council has now snapped up two corner properties on the same street, numbers 11 and 12, and has plans for a similar revival.
It’s all part of the council’s emerging North Shields master plan – aimed at transforming the town centre and riverside into an environment where more people choose to live, work and spend their leisure time.
The facelift aims to support a revitalised town centre by increasing footfall for local businesses, protect a well-loved square and landmark, and play a supporting role in the wider regeneration of North Shields.
Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside Council, Cllr Bruce Pickard, said: “These properties are next to our £5.6m regeneration scheme in Northumberland square. We were keen to see these properties brought up to a similar standard to our own scheme, so when the opportunity arose to acquire them it was one that we couldn’t pass up.
“The revival of Northumberland Square, as part of our ambitious plan for North Shields, represents a fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into the town centre and attract more people to live, work and visit here.
“The buildings, like the square, are fine examples of Georgian architecture and are steeped in North Shields history, so I hope it will be a matter of local pride to see them restored in a way that is sympathetic to the character of the square.
“The coronavirus pandemic has made us more determined than ever to get these exciting projects off the ground. We aim to ensure that North Tyneside not only recovers from the pandemic but builds itself back better than it was before.”
Another part of the vision for North Shields will be the demolition of Unicorn House on nearby Suez Street. The large three-storey office block was purchased by the council in February and will make way for a high-quality, housing-led regeneration scheme to complement the ongoing work at Northumberland Square.
Permission to demolish was granted in May and companies have now been invited to tender for the demolition contract.
