1NG - Developing NewscastleGateshead

1NG is the city development company for NewcastleGateshead and is an independent private-sector led company leading on the delivery of regeneration, development and investment projects in NewcastleGateshead.

The founding partners (Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council and One North East) wanted to create a business which focuses exclusively on delivering development in NewcastleGateshead, utilising private-sector expertise and experience.

1NG is a lean team of just 15 people comprising experts in the field of property and economic development.

1NG may operate anywhere in the two council areas, but it will focus on regeneration, development and investment in the urban core of NewcastleGateshead, with specific focus on projects in Ouseburn, Science Central and Gateshead Quays.

Jim McIntyre is 1NG’s chief executive and a leading figure in the field of urban regeneration and property development. Previously Jim spent four years at the helm of Gladedale Capital, the commercial and mixed-use development arm of one of the UK's biggest property development and house-building companies.

Chair of 1NG is Lord Falconer. Charles Falconer has been at the heart of politics, for the last decade. He was a minister in Tony Blair’s government for all of its ten year life and Lord Chancellor for the last four years.

Board members include: 
John Abel
Prof Chris Brink
Cllr Catherine Donovan
Ian Dormer
Cllr Nick Forbes
Cllr Mick Henry
Andrew Moffat
Barry Rowland
Sir Hugh Sykes
Prof Andrew Wathey
Lucy Winskell
Graham Wylie

There are four key tasks for the company:

• Leading a shared strategic vision for NewcastleGateshead through development of an Economic Masterplan
• Delivery of priority regeneration projects in the urban core of NewcastleGateshead
• Engagement with the private sector and stimulating investment
• Supporting improved competitiveness of the NewcastleGateshead economy

1NG is about delivering - delivering investment that will rejuvenate the property development in NewcastleGateshead and create jobs and greater economic prosperity in the urban core.

1NG has a tightly focused remit – working with the private sector (and other public-sector bodies) to deliver a number of high-impact projects, including Newcastle’s Science Central, Gateshead Quays (including feasibility work on an International Conference and Exhibition Centre), and the Ouseburn and East Quayside area.

It’s an economic and spatial strategy for NewcastleGateshead to make it a more prosperous, attractive and sustainable place which is endorsed and supported by 1NG and its partners. It offers a long-term 15-20 year vision, but there is a strong focus on things that need to be done now and in the next three to five years to lead the fight back after recession, making NewcastleGateshead more competitive in the future. Find out more about the 1PLAN|

1NG was conceived in a boom but launched in a recession, and the company has needed to adjust its approach to reflect a changed environment. A major part of 1NG’s job is to ensure that NewcastleGateshead is well placed to respond when conditions improve and has clear and attractive investment opportunities available to investors as they return to the market.

It's an economic and spatial strategy to make NewcastleGateshead a more prosperous, attractive and sustainable place.  It offers a long term 15-20 year vision, with a strong focus on the things we need to do now and in the next three to five years to lead the fightback after recession to make NewcastleGateshead more competitive in the future.

It's the first economic and spatial strategy for Gateshead and Newcastle together.  The council's remain seperate local authorities, but they have come together through the 1PLAN to give us the critical mass to be able to compete effectively with the other large urban centres.

It's about economy and place: we believe that, in the modern economy, place matters - and the 1PLAN talks about the places where the new economy will flourish - the knowledge hubs and a revived central business district

Critically, it's about prioritising our resources to make things happen.  We'll all be judged not by what we say, but by what we do to make NewcastleGateshead a more competitive and attractive place.

The 1PLAN has been produced by a partnership - 1NG, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, One North East and the Homes and Communities Agency - and it will be delivered by a partnership.  A summary action plan is available identifying the priorities and key leads.

Following extensive consultation with the private sector the 1PLAN was drafted and approved by the 1NG Board in December 2009.  The two councils and One North East have been closely involved at every stage, and formally approved the document in February 2010.

The Gateshead and Newcastle Partnership - a partnership of key political representatives from both councils - will be responsible for overseeing the success of the 1PLAN and monitoring progress on its delivery.

The 1PLAN covers a wide range of issues including science, the low-carbon economy, business development, skills and the problem of worklessness - as well as property development and regeneration.

The action plan sets out agreement for implementing the 1PLAN.  We're working on the details of the action plan now, the people and organisations leading on each of the 10 key steps are in place.

We want to create and protect jobs in existing businessess, boost job-rich sectors such as tourism and retail, provide opportunities for young people including the graduates of universities in the North East, and help the  unemployed to get back into work, matching jobs to emerging sectors.  A sustainable strategy is one where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from increased wealth, and the 1PLAN will benefit everyone in NewcastleGateshead.

It's true that the 1PLAN has important things to say about the centre of NewcastleGateshead and placemaking in what we call the "urban core".

For many years, people and businesses have been drifting away from the urban core, moving to surburban and out of town locations.  There's a strong feeling that this has drained the life out of the centre and this has had a big impact on shops, restaurants and other businesses.

It has also made us very car dependent.  We certainly can't "rewind the clock", but we do need to shift the emphasis back to the core as a place to live and work, to create a more sustainable way of life, and to reclaim our role as a vibrant centre.

 Yes. We would like to see more compact urban centre, Where people can use public transport or walk to work.  We also want to encourage more people - families as well as apartment dwellers - to live in sustainble urban neighbourhoods.  We believe that, if NewcastleGateshad wants to be a leader in low carbon production, we need to match that by our commitment to sustainable life styles.

Sustainability has social, environment and economic aspects.

Gateshead Quays is a 15.5 hectare site which incorporates a number of uses, including business, residential, leisure, retail and office space. Live businesses in the form of The Sage Gateshead, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Heritage @ St Marys, HMS Calliope and the occupiers in Oakwellgate will be accommodated within the overall vision. It is highly influenced by the findings of the 1PLAN, which aims to create a sustainable and prosperous urban core for the ‘twin cities’, and therefore this plan looks to complement the wider regeneration opportunities within both Gateshead and Newcastle as a whole, that fit into the context of the 1PLAN.

As such the proposals for this site are complementary to plans being suggested for Gateshead town centre to create an integrated approach.

A masterplan will address how the linkages between Gateshead Quays and Gateshead centre, create a modern vibrant corridor to the waterfront, with a mix of uses proposed including:

• new hotel accommodation – not only as a natural use in a prime tourist location but also as an essential part of the infrastructure required to service conferences, exhibitions and other events;
• around 300 residential units are proposed which again will build upon the established Baltic Quays apartments and bring living back to the urban core which is a key objective of the 1PLAN and the Councils' own planning policies;
• around 18581sq mtrs of commercial accommodation which will take advantage of the quayside location favoured by corporate occupiers and act as a gateway to Baltic Business Quarter and the Baltic Place;
• leisure facilities in the form of health clubs and potentially a cinema to add to the diversity of offer and the prime nature of the location within the urban core;
• retail in the form of bars, cafes, restaurants and convenience stores to make best use of the quayside location and service the growing local community.

The proposition is to catalyse the Gateshead Quays project with a Conference and Exhibition Centre

Gateshead Quays is an established prime location which appeals on the world stage and NewcastleGateshead is a leading destination for international Association-based conferences. Major conventions and conferences staged at venues in Gateshead such as The Sage Gateshead, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, attract delegates from all over the world, while the economic benefits are not only felt in the immediate vicinity but spread right throughout NewcastleGateshead and into hotels and restaurants in the surrounding area.

A conference and exhibition centre would take NewcastleGateshead to the next level as a business tourism destination, with the potential to create a NewcastleGateshead 'conference district'. Large-scale flat-floor space would be highly beneficial enabling the destination to compete against more established business tourism destinations in the UK and abroad.

There are many – increased visitor numbers, increased spend, additional jobs and the opportunity for a conference and exhibition centre to act as a positive catalyst for the wider regeneration of Gateshead Quays.

There is great demand from Britain and overseas in conferencing in NewcastleGateshead – in fact frequently too much demand to be able to satisfy it at present within the context of the existing infrastructure. A conference and exhibition centre would be a great economic driver for the region, with the potential to deliver 2,000 jobs, around 270,000 visitors per annum and at least £25m per annum into the economy (through the additional spend of new business visitors to the region).

1NG is the development manager for the Gateshead Quays project (including the Conference and Exhibition Centre) appointed by 1NG partners (Gateshead Council and One North East in this instance) and would deliver the practical regeneration on the ground.

Gateshead Council is the statutory planning authority for the Gateshead Quays site and therefore will be involved in assessing any proposals put forward by 1NG.

The masterplan will be signed off by the 1NG Board in September 2010 and by the Gateshead Council Executive and One North East Board in October 2010.

The overall regeneration plan for Ouseburn and East Quayside comprises several distinct projects. These include sites at Malmo Quay, Lower Steenberg, Heaneys, Ince and Ice Factory, Maling Street and west of The Free Trade, and Spillers Quay.

The first phase of activity focuses on three projects around the mouth of the Ouseburn, with development delivered over seven years. The regeneration work envisaged will be very much in keeping with the overall ethos for Ouseburn – a vibrant urban village where people can both live, work and play, with the creative industries at its heart.

Initial focus has been on the former Maynards' Toffee Factory converting this derelict building into a business development centre, for the creative, cultural and digital industries sector as 'move on' space for their growth and development. The Toffee Factory is located on a plot of land known as Lower Steenberg’s Yard, just north of the mouth of the Ouseburn. It is anticipated the building will be ready to move into by the end of 2011.

Other projects which form part of this first phase of activity include Ouseburn East Bank (including the Heaney and Ice factory site) where waterfront residential accommodation is proposed, and several public realm projects, developing both infrastructure and public squares that will integrate and link Ouseburn Valley with the Quayside.

Total space will be around 2323sq mtrs. 1394sq mtrs of this space will be for serviced accommodation, provided in cellular offices ranging in size from 47 - 74sq mtrs together with an events space, meeting rooms, breakout areas and kitchens. There will be around 25 offices available.

The building was constructed in 1870 and the Toffee Factory established in 1906. Following a fire in the mid 1980s, the building was a two-storey derelict shell with the tallest remaining industrial chimney in the area.

The design team appointed for the project is led by architect Xsite based in Ouseburn and is supported by landscape architect TGP, structural engineer Cundall and services engineer Max Fordham. Pre-construction the building was awarded a BREEAM rating of 'Very Good' .

The existing Lower Steenbergs arch will be up-graded to form pedestrian access with an adjacent and separate vehicle access formed onto the Quayside. The redevelopment of the building will be complemented by new external landscaping to provide a paved enclosed courtyard and paved and planted external areas.

Disabled car parking will be provided on site. Occupiers and visitors car parking will be available on the adjacent Spillers surface car park.

1NG, as the development manager for the project is working with key partners involved in Ouseburn and East Quayside regeneration projects: One North East, Newcastle City Council and the Homes & Communities Agency. There are a variety of stakeholders also involved which comprise of The Ouseburn Development Trust and the Ouseburn Management Board, who are consulted on a regular basis.

The site formerly known as the Wimpey site (they no longer own the land) is referred to as Malmo Quay. Proposals for the site at Malmo Quay, at the mouth of the Ouseburn, are currently under consideration. Development activity on this site will fully integrate with the wider Ouseburn and East Quayside regeneration and is in keeping with the 'urban village' vision for the area, with proposals for the site anticipated to come forward in the next five years.

Science Central is approximately a 10.5 hectares site in Newcastle City Centre, encompassing the site of the former Scottish and Newcastle brewery – opposite the iconic St. James' Park football ground, home of Newcastle United.

The vision for Science Central is for the creation of a new urban quarter in the centre of Newcastle which will be an exemplar in sustainability, attracting leading edge scientific organisations to a mixed new community encompassing a variety of educational, business and residential uses.

Sitting alongside the academic and business neighbours will be homes and apartments, accommodation for students at Newcastle University along with complementary leisure and retail facilities.

Science Central will encompass a wide mix of uses, with the potential to include: research and development space, offices, studios, shops, cafes, restaurants and housing and high-quality public open spaces. It will be a unique and modern neighbourhood that will link the West End of Newcastle to the core of the city centre.

Science Central's vision is to encourage the introduction of a wide variety of scientific endeavours. It is also the physical space where Newcastle University will locate its 'sustainability' - themed activity going forward.

Newcastle Science City Partnership will capitalise on world-class scientific research conducted in Newcastle for the economic and social benefit of the city. Activities planned will include stem cell research, in which Newcastle is a market leader; drug discovery (one of the most commercially applicable of our scientific strengths) research into electronics and sensors; and a "hub" for support services and enterprise activity across the whole science and technology sector.

Science Central is the physical place where the work on Science City comes to fruition. Newcastle was designated a 'Science City' by Government in 2004. Since then, One North East, Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University have worked closely together to develop an ambitious vision to create prosperity from science for Newcastle.

This has been why Newcastle Science City came together as an organisation with its key aim to integrate science, business and economic development. It is establishing new approaches to translating scientific research into applications, particularly by business and to encourage innovation. It is creating an environment where science and business can work together and develop together, in a manner and on a scale competitive with any other location elsewhere in the world.

An initial phase of building activity has already commenced in partnership with developer Downing, a leading Northern England property group. Detailed planning was granted for a new business school for Newcastle University, 450 student homes and a 160 bed hotel and building works commenced in summer 2009 with completion due on the University's Business School and student accommodation in Autumn 2011. Northland Properties will complete the refurbishment of the former Scottish & Newcastle office building in summer of 2011 when it will open as a Sandman Signature Hotel.

Construction activity on the land owned by the project partners is due to commence (subject to receipt of the necessary planning approvals) during 2011, with the provision of the first phase of site infrastructure.

Science Central will host employment opportunities at all scales within the science sector. From an education and training perspective there will be opportunities for technician level training, right through to post doctoral research. In employment terms, this development will look to support existing local businesses, spin out new companies, and work with international PLCs. The important aim is raising the number of people taking science and technology courses at all levels to equip them with new skills for the future.

As a result of redeveloping the area encompassing the former Scottish & Newcastle site, this entire part of the city will be regenerated. By developing new research quarters, new offices, new education and public-engagement spaces, new houses, the site has massive potential to attract new businesses and help support new jobs and long-term investment for NewcastleGateshead.

The International Centre for Life is a successful example of a scientific centre where there are close working relationships between a wide range of groups from high-level researchers to those involved in education activities for schools. This type of successful collaboration at various levels could provide a positive influence for the development of Science Central.