Newcastle Great Park: More homes despite 'crumbling' amenities

The Great Park development sits to the north of Newcastle

A housing development extension has been recommended for approval despite "literally crumbling" infrastructure.

More than 2,000 houses have been built so far at Newcastle's Great Park but a promised town centre has not.

One resident said there was "no provision of amenities, especially shops" despite promises for 10 years.

Developer Persimmon Homes, which wants to build 45 "luxury" homes on part of the site, said it was working to bring retailers to fill empty shop units.

The unnamed resident said in a comment submitted to the council's planning website: "The infrastructure is not in place to support yet more housing, existing infrastructure is literally crumbling and patch jobs to road surfaces are less than satisfactory."

Persimmon Homes said it was "confident" in its "sensitive commercial negotiations" concerning the town centre but was not yet "in a position to make formal announcements".

It could not fully resurface potholed roads while construction work was being undertaken, a spokesperson said.

Residents complain of boarded up shop fronts and poor amenities

A council report sent to planning committee members said incomplete development elsewhere on Great Park was "not a consideration to which significant weight can be attached in the assessment of this application".

Facilities would be "be improved as development progresses", it said.

Persimmon proposes to build a total of 4,500 homes on the Great Park development.

The land has outline planning approval for residential, educational, retail, health and recreational uses.

There is planning approval for a town centre with a high street, shops, a market square, housing and town square, which has not been completed.

The latest "luxury" homes are planned for a site earmarked for 33, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Environmental campaigner Rachel Locke, from Save Newcastle Wildlife, said the proposals would "see an increase in density of a development cell already devoid of open space".

Councillors are recommended to approve the plans at a planning committee meeting on Friday.