Lift town centre doom and gloom, council urged

Gateshead's town centre is in need of investment, locals believe

Council bosses have been urged to act quickly to lift the "doom and gloom" around a struggling town centre.

Businesses and residents of Gateshead say the local council's long-term plans do not do enough to address immediate concerns.

The authority has suggested redevelopment of the area since 2008, but steps subsequently unveiled in 2019 have been delayed and downsized, but it has described its intentions as "bold and ambitious".

Andy Redfern, who runs the Green Heart clothes shop, said: "They talk about things in five or 10 years' time. These are little businesses struggling for customers today, we cannot think about five or 10-year timescales."

The town has been hit by the sudden closure and imminent demolition of the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover.

Doubt also surrounds a scheme to build a 12,500-seat arena at Gateshead Quays, along with a convention centre.

Liam Bowering, who lives at Park Court, described the flyover as a "symbol" of Gateshead's plight.

The 25-year-old bingo hall worker said he felt the town had become "stuck" and argued the stalled development of the proposed arena meant "people don't believe it anymore" when other regeneration schemes are promised.

Luisa Scott (second right) and a band of volunteers are aiming to make Gateshead town centre more welcoming

A Friends of Gateshead Town Centre group was set up earlier this year to carry out litter picks, wash away graffiti and make the town centre more appealing.

Louise Scott, from the group, told the BBC in August that Gateshead was "not a lost cause".

However, she and her partner Lee Miles, who opened a bar in the area last year, warned that traders alone cannot be the "driving force" for change.

Mr Miles told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It feels like it is just doom and gloom in Gateshead and it is because we have not got a solid plan, something to look forward to.

"Town centres are never going to be what they used to be. Nobody is stupid enough to think that.

"But if there were more positive changes and new places opening, people would support it."

Anneliese Hutchinson, the council's strategic director for economy, innovation and growth, said strides have been made including the appointment of two town centre ambassadors and the funding of a town centre manager.

She also said anti-social behaviour had been cut by 60%, but added: "It's important to recognise that high streets up and down the country are struggling, given the competition from online retailers and the state of the economy generally.

"So we are far from alone in needing to evolve the town centre offer and we are looking both short term and longer term [measures] to do that.

"But this is only the start. As our bold and ambitious regeneration plans continue and demolition of the flyover and the vacant buildings in High Street South begins, some of the ground work we've put in over the last year will really start to have an impact."