North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet are set to hear the latest on a multi-million-pound ambition to regenerate Wallsend following a public consultation.
Tonight (May 22), Cabinet will receive feedback on the consultation that took place and be asked to grant permission for officers to update the Council’s Ambition for Wallsend as the authority looks to move forward with its plans.
An eight-week public consultation was carried out between January and March 2023, with over 500 comments received across face-to-face engagement sessions and an online PlaceChangers survey.
Pending Cabinet approval, the plan will be updated to reflect the priorities and topics that came up to create a Wallsend that residents, businesses and visitors can be proud of.
Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside, Carl Johnson, said: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who shared their views on our plans. A lot of the feedback was very positive and the comments will allow us to fine-tune some of our ideas before detailed proposals are developed.
“Wallsend is a town with a rich and storied history – so we want to embrace this while working to give the residents, businesses and visitors the Wallsend they want to see.
“There will be other opportunities to have your say; there will be further engagement on the projects throughout the duration of the plan’s delivery. This initial consultation gives us the basis to bid for funding for the projects and make these plans a reality.”
The masterplan prioritises making improvements to the town centre environment and quality of housing in the town by renovating poor-quality properties and building new homes, connecting residents to good jobs through education and training, transport infrastructure and putting Wallsend on the map for employers.
Work has already been carried out to improve the housing offer in the town centre, with the Council repurposing flats on Charlotte Street into new family homes, this development was made following significant issues of poor property management and anti-social behaviour.
The Council continues to engage with partners to support the delivery of new developments such as the new healthcare centre behind the Forum Shopping Centre, providing much needed new facilities and boosting footfall in the town centre.
New employment opportunities are in the pipeline for the town following the purchase of the former Swan Hunter site by Shepherd Offshore Ltd, working in partnership with the Council to redevelop the former shipyard into Swans Energy Park.
Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum will be upgraded and this will see a more prominent entrance and café on the ground floor, new exhibition galleries and reopening of the reconstructed Bath House.
A development stage application was submitted in February 2023 to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for Segedunum and a response on whether the Council, working in partnership with Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums,is invited to submit a full application is expected in June 2023. A £499,000 Government grant from Art Council England’s MEND fund for repairs to the museum has already been secured.
The plans to regenerate Wallsend are part of the Council’s Our North Tyneside Plan 2021-25, which aims to build a better Borough, looking to the future, listening to residents and working better for them.
ENDS
