Landmark scheme for banks of Tyne
Jul 14 2008 by Paul James, The Journal
A TOWERING new North East landmark could be the next major addition to the southern banks of the Tyne, planning chiefs have revealed.
Following in the footsteps of the Baltic and Sage arts venues, and as the Angel of the North celebrates its 10th birthday, it would form part of plans to pull shoppers and visitors into a rejuvenated Gateshead town centre.
In the draft of a new planning strategy for the town centre, regeneration chiefs at Gateshead Council say they need to offer something unique to attract people from Newcastle city centre and from the MetroCentre.
A cable car link from the riverside is still under consideration, and now one of their suggestions is an “iconic structure” for the town.
The report, due to be discussed at a meeting of all Gateshead councillors on Thursday, says that a “major beacon or landmark”, possibly in the form of art or a building, would provide a major draw.
It says: “As a general guide building heights within the town centre will need to vary between two and six storeys in order to provide the density of development expected for a town centre environment, and to provide enough flexibility within the height range to exploit the landform and topography of the area.
“In addition to this there is the opportunity to substantially increase height within the central core area of the town centre to create a focus that will visually landmark central Gateshead within the context of central Tyneside and the Tyne Gorge. This could be either a single iconic structure or a cluster of structures.
“As well as assessing the physical impact of any proposed tall buildings in the town centre, particularly its interface at street level, consideration must also be given to the visual impact of such a building with regard to strategic views and vistas, and the skyline of central Gateshead.”
A new design guide that is being drawn up for the area will contain recommendations for building heights.
The report adds: “The aspiration is for Gateshead town centre to be a vibrant and distinctive part of an enlarged NewcastleGateshead city centre serving the region.
“There needs to be good reason to visit Gateshead, with the established centres of Newcastle and the MetroCentre nearby.”
