Newcastle City Council '100% committed' to Stephenson Quarter

The Stephenson Quarter's Crowne Plaza hotel has received a series of loans to help with financial struggles

Council chiefs in Newcastle say they are "100% committed" to completing the regeneration of a key city site.

The transformation of the Stephenson Quarter, a former industrial hub behind Central Station, has a troubled history.

Last week it was announced the site could become a temporary home to the shipping container leisure venue Stack, formerly located on Pilgrim Street.

However, the news prompted concern over the area's long-term vision.

Stack could be in place next to the Crowne Plaza hotel before Christmas, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The redevelopment of the Stephenson Quarter, once home to Robert Stephenson's steam locomotive works, ran into difficulty when an agreement between Newcastle City Council and the Clouston Group collapsed over funding issues.

The Crowne Plaza has also proved controversial with the Labour-run local authority, which has issued £30m in loans to plug financial gaps.

Stack, previously located on Newcastle's Pilgrim Street, was made from more than 50 converted shipping containers

The council, which launched a joint venture with PfP-igloo in 2020 to finish seven remaining plots, said it was "confident" in the quarter's future with a spokesman describing it as "one of the most important development sites in the city".

He added it would "bring back into use parcels of land that have been dormant for years".

"The pandemic and challenging economic conditions with the prospect of recession is affecting developments right across the country. However, we remain 100% committed to this site.

"We believe in its great potential and are confident it will provide another stimulus to the city's economy, attracting investment and creating jobs once it is complete."

Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Stone, the opposition party spokesperson on business and the city centre, said temporary ventures such as Stack were a "good way to literally fill the gap" but cautioned that it could take "at least a decade" for the scheme to go from a concept to showing progress.