Call to scrap 'snail's pace' High Street plans

Many of the stores on Gateshead High Street remain closed years after plans were launched to redevelop the area

The multimillion-pound regeneration of a town centre is taking too long, according to a councillor.

Plans to redevelop Gateshead High Street South began in 2019, but five years later most of the buildings remain empty.

Liberal Democrat Ron Beadle said the development is "moving at a snail's pace" and has called for the current plans to be scrapped.

Labour-led Gateshead Council said it still has "ambitious plans" for the area, but the project was impacted by the pandemic.

Details obtained by the BBC show underspent budgets and changes to plans, while many shops in the area remain empty.

Mr Beadle said: "There has been talk for over 30 years to regenerate Gateshead High Street and nothing has happened other than this wishing from five years ago.

"There’s absolutely no delivery."

Councillor Ron Beadle believes the redevelopment of Gateshead High Street needs to be reassessed

The Gateshead High Street South development aims to provide new housing and green spaces at the edge of the town centre, but no construction has taken place.

The development covers an area south of Charles Street and is part of the council's wider Exemplar Neighbourhood Masterplan.

Gateshead High Street South aims to bring people back to the town centre

Concept drawings from 2019 show a city farm, fitness hub and community lawn, however the final plans now largely focus on building new housing and commercial units.

Despite the project launching five years ago, Gateshead residents have seen little in the way of change.

The only physical alteration to the road took place in 2020 when an empty row of buildings stretching from 332 to 354 High Street were demolished. The land now stands empty.

An artists impression of how the area would look after redevelopment

Gateshead Council has said its timeline was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the High Street was designated a "delayed" project.

This meant over a three-year period, from April 2020 to March 2023, the redevelopment was given a reduced budget of £1.75m.

Only £1.1m was spent, council records show, with £541,675 used to buy eight properties.

These were:

• The Blue Bell pub (bought for £245,000)

• 293 High St, 295 High S, 1 Chandless Street and 3 Chandless Street (£100,000)

• 277/277a High St (£82,500)

• 305 High St (£52,675)

• Land at Ann Street (£61,500)

In total, there are more than 40 buildings in the Gateshead High Street South area.

The Blue Bell is one of eight properties the council has purchased

Early plans suggested the authority would use compulsory purchase orders (CPO) to force property owners to sell.

The council had planned to begin using CPOs by the end of 2020 but so far the none has been issued.

A council spokesperson said: "The £583,000 per year budget allocation was in place to allow building owners to voluntarily come forward to sell their properties – if more owners had come forward, the budget would have increased.

"That voluntary acquisition process continues now and the council encourages interested parties to come forward to commence negotiations."

But Mr Beadle believes the council should have secured the backing of partners and properties owners before the project began.

Giuliano's Barber Shop was one of the property's acquired during the voluntary sale process

In the 12 months since March 2023 the council has not bought a single property on High Street South, according to a freedom of information request, while those previously purchased remain standing.

Despite this, Gateshead Council said much of the work will take place soon.

A total of £23.2m has been budgeted for the scheme between 2024 and 2029, with just over half of the funding coming from the council and the £10.4m coming from external sources.

A spokesperson said: "2024 should see some major milestones for the project, with a new dedicated project manager in post, the start of the process of appointing a development partner and using the revised budget to pick up the pace of acquiring properties.

"The council has already invested many millions into the area and has the budget to complete its goal of assembling a site on the edge of the town centre for modern, sustainable homes."

Despite the promises of big things on the horizon, Mr Beadle believes the Gateshead High Street South project should be scrapped in its current form.

"I think they should start again and talk to the partners and come up with something workable," he said.