Music venue opposes arts plaza road plan

Kate Hodgkinson, who runs Cobalt Studios with fellow director Mark Collett, is concerned the changes could make the area less accessible

A music venue is opposing an art gallery's plan to turn a public road into an events space.

The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle has been granted planning permission to convert Bermondsey Street into an arts and cultural plaza, capable of hosting exhibitions 36 days a year.

Kate Hodgkinson, who owns Cobalt Studios, said she was opposed to public land being privatised and feared the scheme would make the area in Ouseburn less accessible to wheelchair users.

The owner of the Biscuit Factory, Ramy Zack, said the gallery would keep the road open to the public and planned to build an additional access ramp nearby.

Mrs Hodgkinson said she feared the development would mean access to an existing pedestrian ramp might not be guaranteed in the future.

"We have a lot of limited mobility visitors that come to Cobalt as we are a fully accessible music venue," she said.

"And although [The Biscuit Factory] says the accessibility will be kept, it's still a concern of ours that it will be put into private management and private ownership."

Mrs Hodgkinson believes the plaza will lead to more traffic in the area

Mr Zack said he understood the concerns but the entrance was already on private land and had never been restricted.

He said a second ramp would be installed on public land on Union Street to "provide further reassurances".

Mrs Hodgkinson also said the development would have a "significant impact on parking" and increase traffic in the area during the plaza's events.

"I think there's a lack of understanding as to what an arts plaza means and whether the events held there will be for the common good," she said.

The Biscuit Factory also plans 39-space car park

Mr Zack said there would be "no loss of public parking" through the plan and the scheme would result in a net gain of 27 spaces in the area.

This includes two additional on-street bays and extra capacity through The Biscuit Factory's planned 39-space car park.

"Ouseburn is a thriving area with many local businesses and the local trust already runs events," he said.

"We anticipate being able to use the development to participate in, or complement, those existing events.

"We're not sure why that would be considered detrimental."

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