Tynemouth Metro Station set to be saved by store

Oct 6 2009 The Journal

Those behind the proposals, Station Developments Limited, will put the plans before North Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee later this month.

Ylana First, the secretary of the Friends of Tynemouth Station, who has been fighting to save the station since 1982, said: “It’s a beautiful site and I support the proposals, but I also have mixed feelings about them.

“I know there are those who are not happy about it, but you have to weigh the situations up.

“Do you save the station and have a food store that you don’t want? Or do you allow the whole thing to get pulled down and then you get housing put up in the area? Nothing is perfect in this world.”

Morris Muter, the chief executive of Station Developments, said: “The developments are vital to maintain the canopies and the commercial elements are needed for that. It makes the restorations sustainable. The food store is a key element. Without it, or something that would generate the same type of revenue, the restoration scheme is not viable.

“We undertook studies on the local area and it showed a huge lack of convenience shopping in Tynemouth. People are travelling huge distances with some going to Kingston Park.”

The proposals say: “The consultation presented the project as an initiative to restore Tynemouth Station to its Victorian splendour with complementary developments including a library and anchor (retail) unit.

“The consultation event was highly successful with overwhelming support for the project’s aims and objectives.”

It added: “The application comprises of five main parts, the first of which is a retail unit. A 1,738.4metres squared single-storey building to be located to the south of the east platform with associated car parking and landscaping.”