Flood of interest in city’s special valley

Sep 4 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A MASTERPLAN is being drawn up to plot the future for a boom valley which has become a centre for Newcastle’s creative community.

The Newcastle City Council regeneration strategy is for the Lower Ouseburn Valley, whose waterfront, boats, woodland, city farm, riding stables, green spaces, galleries, bridges, pubs, music venues and many studios give it a special character.

The latest figures show that the last five years have seen a rapid expansion in the valley of small and medium sized businesses in the cultural, creative and leisure/tourism sectors. Since 2003 35 new businesses have come to the valley, creating 170 jobs. That figure could double by 2009, it is predicted. There are now over 150 studios in the area.

The valley also has a rich historical heritage, having been one of the main cradles of the industrial revolution on Tyneside, with glassworks, lead, iron and limeworks, mills and potteries.

A new strategy review for the valley says: “It is an important part of Tyneside for arts, culture, leisure, heritage and entertainment. The cluster of unique and quirky attractions offers visitors a real alternative to the city centre.

“Over the last 20 years the transformation of the valley has been largely due to the growth in creative and cultural industries. This has helped the valley to become widely recognised as the North East hub for artists, creative people and craftspeople and its galleries are a key attraction for visitors.”

The first of a series of public consultation meetings was held last night on how the regeneration strategy should take shape. Issues which the strategy will tackle include:

Can a mix of new homes, businesses and leisure facilities exist in harmony in a small area?

How can a good balance of development be achieved without spoiling the valley’s existing assets and character?

How much should change and how quickly should it happen?

The strategy review says: “The way in which the regeneration of the area handles its visual character is extremely important and difficult – setting the bar too high will drive developers away while setting the bar too low could mean poor quality developments destroying the character of the area and prejudicing further investment.”

Ouseburn regeneration officer Nancy Rios-Hill said: “We want to get the views of people on these issues. We need a new regeneration strategy to guide what happens, and it is about the scale and pace of change.”