Mayor still confident in delayed arena plans

A new arena, The Sage, was meant to be built on the Gateshead Quayside

The North East mayor insists she is "confident" in plans to build a heavily delayed arena.

A study has been under way recently to determine whether it is financially viable to push ahead with the "world class" arena and convention centre at the Gateshead Quayside.

Building work on the 12,500-seat venue was meant to begin in autumn 2023, but construction never started.

Labour mayor Kim McGuinness said: "My view is that the site south of the river is ripe for development as an arena and conference centre, and we are working really hard to make that happen."

The North East Combined Authority and Gateshead Council's decision on the viability is yet to be confirmed.

McGuinness said: "We know previous plans were outpriced because of inflation, but it doesn't mean that it isn't pretty much the best place in the country to do something like that.

"I am confident we will get it under way and confident we will get something under way very quickly and I'm really looking forward to it."

Rising costs

The venue, which would be known as The Sage, would be built on the empty plot between the Glasshouse music centre and Baltic art gallery.

In January 2023, it was revealed that the estimated cost of the development had jumped from an original £260m to more than £350m.

That figure is thought to have risen again since, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Whether the scheme goes ahead and in what form also has a major knock-on impact for Newcastle's Utilita Arena, which is meant to be replaced by the Quayside venue.

No firm plans have been announced for the future of the existing Utilita Arena site, should it close down as planned.

ASM Global, which owns and operates the site, was contacted for a response.