Gateshead one of five UK 'Future Places'
Gateshead, one of just five places in the UK, has won a spot on The Future Place programme, an initiative run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Local Government Association (LGA) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
The five 'Future Places' were selected based on their placemaking visions, ambition and innovative approaches and include Bradford, Greater Exeter, Great Yarmouth and North Northamptonshire.
As part of the programme Gateshead will get training and expert advice from each of the project partners to develop visions for the town centre.
The Leader of Gateshead Council, Cllr Martin Gannon said: "We are delighted that Gateshead has been announced as a future place winner. We have huge ambitions to accelerate the transformation of our borough. We're committed to creating a lively, connected town centre that promotes health, wellbeing, social interaction, and a better quality of life so that our residents can thrive.
"Plans for the Urban Core include a new £250m arena and conference venue, 1,000 new homes with a new 'exemplar' neighbourhood, and a high street revamp. A new public transport interchange and rail station have also been identified as priority projects. It's an exciting time for Gateshead!"
RIBA President, Ben Derbyshire, said: "Congratulations to these Local Authorities on their selection. Local Authorities play a vital role in creating happy, healthy and sustainable communities, and I am pleased to support their initiative, investing in public engagement and collaborative planning to design the best possible environments. The commitment, despite financial and political barriers, is highly commendable, and I look forward to working with all five over the next phase of the programme, learning the lessons as they develop their vision to and celebrating their success."
Chartered Institute of Housing President, Jim Strang, said: "Local authorities play an absolutely vital role in helping to create thriving communities that are great places to live and work, and crucially in providing genuinely affordable housing. Congratulations to all of our Futures Places - we look forward to supporting them and following their progress with interest."
