New Bridge Street Student Accommodation | Newcastle | 20m | 6 Fl | Completed

[Newcastle Historian]

On May 21st 2009, on the Projects Thread, the below proposed development was reported.

Student residential scheme for new bridge street:






I'm not certain what the current state of these proposals are.

[TownPlanningNE]

Latest news on this development..

Students' new homes will 'breathe new life' into city
WORK has started on a new £20m student flat and retail development in the east of Newcastle. Once complete the four, five and six-storey buildings on New Bridge Street, Shieldfield, to the east of Northumbria University’s City Campus East, will house more than 400 university students.

Whelan Construction started work on the 20,000 sq ft site which is set to boost regeneration efforts in the area.

Deputy vice-chancellor and finance director at Northumbria, David Chesser, said: “The university has – for a number of years – been looking for suitable sites to create new and additional student accommodation.

“This location, on New Bridge Street, is ideally located alongside our award-winning, state-of-the-art buildings at City Campus East.

“We feel very confident that the quality and location of the scheme will make it a popular choice for students, and it will add to the overall vitality of this part of the city centre.

“Students and the city of Newcastle are a great fit, and the city has a terrific reputation for the warmth of its welcome and ease with which students are absorbed into social, cultural and economic life.

“The university hopes very much that this new development will make a further and significant contribution to the city’s ongoing regeneration.”

Tony Whelan, managing director of Whelan, said: “This is our first dedicated student accommodation build and I know that we will certainly prove our worth and deliver a finished product that will help to breathe new life into area, in line with the continued regeneration of the city, and which has the exacting Whelan marque. We have recently completed all of the pre-enabling works and are delighted to be able to now push this development forward.

“Demolition work will start soon and the new buildings will soon start to take shape. We’re looking forward to handing the keys over on time and within budget.”

Whelan, whose previous headquarters were located on an area of the land currently being redeveloped, were also influential in putting together the land package for Northumbria University’s new accommodation site.

The site had attracted criticism from local MP Jim Cousins and some residents who aired concerns that there were already enough student schemes in Shieldfield.

However Newcastle City Council approved the scheme before Christmas.

Students and the city of Newcastle are a great fit, and the city has a terrific reputation for the warmth of its welcome.”

http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/commerci...1140-25584652/

[AngerOfTheNorth]

[TownPlanningNE]

I never knew this had any retail as part of it. Any idea as to what?

[Newcastle Historian]

Here is the PHOTO from todays Journal article at Post 3 above . .



They are standing in front of the very buildings (to be demolished) that we recently discussed, in connection with this development, on the 'Newcastle as it Might Have Been' thread.

See Below copies . .

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

The Oliver Plan . .

Originally Posted by johnnypd

Interesting note on the Oliver plan is the street named Ridley Villas - these are buildings currently being demolished on new bridge steet for a shit student residential scheme.

Originally Posted by wj_gibson

No they aren't. Ridley Villas was eventually built on a different alignment to the 1830 plan, being a direct eastward continuation of New Bridge Street. These buildings (at one time semi-rural villas for industrial owners) were effectively a C19 equivalent of the old (and by then long gone) manors located a little closer to the city centre.

Ridley Villas is now mostly occupied by commercial-type premises.

The student housing scheme (I presume you mean the area around Quay Point) was built on what I remember being land left derelict after the Battle Field estate was built.

Originally Posted by johnnypd

Ridley Villas were already built by the time the Oliver map was produced and that street matches up with the current route of new bridge street if you look on a present day map.

I'm afraid they are coming down for a student residential scheme. The one villa that hasn't been modified for commercial use (the former TB hospital) is on the local list so it is staying but the three houses in between that and Cheviot Printers will be flattened.

here's a pic:

Originally Posted by wj_gibson

I'm staggered at that, tbh. Ridley Villas is surely comparable to "Carlton Terrace" in being a rare example of very early suburban housing and I had always assumed the buildings would have been in some way protected.

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

Some Photos . .
These are some photos of the area in question, some of these buildings are to be re-developed for the Student accommodation . .


A detached building and possible clinic on New Bridge Street, taken in 1975. A stone on the middle left of the building is marked 'Ridley Villas'. A sign on the left of the lawn in front of the building is marked 'Chest Clinic'.


A view of the Dispensary New Bridge Street Newcastle upon Tyne taken in 1975. The photograph shows the exterior of the building. A car is parked in front of the Dispensary


A view of the exterior of New Bridge Street Day Nursery New Bridge Street Newcastle upon Tyne taken in 1975. Buildings adjoin the Day Nursery on both sides


The current aerial view from 'Google Earth' . .




.

[TownPlanningNE]

I can't say I'm particularly dissapointed with what they are demolishing, but more so with what they are going to build. If it was of a higher quality I probably wouldn't be too bothered about seeing that area developed. It does seem as if East of the Central Motorway is becoming a natural extension to the city centre.

[AngerOfTheNorth]

I'm probably the same - there's some quality in the buildings being lost, but I noticed a few days ago that some of them have been adapted to death. However I think that the new buildings going up are absolutely awful. I don't know for certain, but there seems to be a big drop in architectural quality once you get past the central motorway and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a different development control team at NCC dealing with the areas on either side of it.

[johnnypd]

the existing buildings have been modified out of recognition from their original states. however it's nothing that can't be reversed with some loving restoration. fortunately it's only something like two blocks from the original georgian street going - however my worry is that it will open the floodgates for other buildings to be redeveloped in a similar poor quality manner.

[elliott]

Tbh, i agree with whats been said about the current building. They have been adapted and messed around with so much that restoration would probably be of such a scale to render it more expensive than the resulting building, unless it was a public building or a place of such huge significance then no developer would do it and no planner or committee could ever refuse the demolition.

However, i would like to see the dispensary and the remaining part of the terrace restored. Just look at the difference between the dispensary in 1975 and now and wonder how they've been allowed to put up awful plastic illuminated signage and the lesser of evils painted stonework.

[johnnypd]

pics of the demolitions on Flicker. You can see just how modified the buildings have become. still a bit disappointing though:

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr


can also see the other side of new bridge street, built a couple of years later by the same people. these have been altered much less so you can see the quality of the brickwork, lintels etc, and look good with some different shades of paint. i'd like to see this side of the street protected.

image hosted on flickr


http://www.flickr.com/photos/draco20...7623273837750/

[TownPlanningNE]

Them photographs do justify their demolition if I'm honest; they have been left in a right state.

[johnnypd]

^they were in use up until recently and in a decent state, the modifications refer to extra storeys, extensions to the front, removed detailing, bad paint jobs etc. the missing roof tiles, windows, graffiti etc have happened only since the businesses were cleared out and internal demoltion started.

[geordiejon]

I agree with an earlier note and the city centre certainly seems to expanding outwards eastwards- not a bad idea to be honest. The current buildings around there look awful- typical shit on a main road into central Newcastle- are these buildings better than what is there now- yes, definitely. I personally do not think these look bad as far as student accomodation goes- will there be street level activity, such as retail etc? If so I would be even more pleased.
The question has to be asked could anything else better be built or a better developer be atractive to this site. Well probably not- office would be unlikely with Gallowgate and Stephenson and Baltic. Retail unlikely also- possibly a hotel, but to be honest it would only attract a low budget developer and the building would have been similar. I think the location is ideal for student accom- this is where the this accom should be built- NOT in the firestation on Pilgrim Street!

[bigchrisfgb]

Originally Posted by geordiejon

I agree with an earlier note and the city centre certainly seems to expanding outwards eastwards- not a bad idea to be honest. The current buildings around there look awful- typical shit on a main road into central Newcastle- are these buildings better than what is there now- yes, definitely. I personally do not think these look bad as far as student accomodation goes- will there be street level activity, such as retail etc? If so I would be even more pleased.
The question has to be asked could anything else better be built or a better developer be atractive to this site. Well probably not- office would be unlikely with Gallowgate and Stephenson and Baltic. Retail unlikely also- possibly a hotel, but to be honest it would only attract a low budget developer and the building would have been similar. I think the location is ideal for student accom- this is where the this accom should be built- NOT in the firestation on Pilgrim Street!

I agree, apart from do the building look good?, no they don't but they are better then what is there and no we will not get anything better because retail will not locate there, atleast on a big scale, and the only other option like you said is a low budget hotel which would look very similar. I have no doubt that these buildings did look good, but they have been destoyed beyond repair by additional floors, and extension all being added which were done on the cheap and have given that look to those houses.

[AngerOfTheNorth]

Don't get me wrong on this one, I don't think student accomodation is a bad use for the site, but I really disagree that the proposed buildings aren't ugly... They look like they're made of lego!

Yet again I'm convinced that the urban design team will have had a pretty minimal say on this application. And judging by the boxy look of the buildings and the blue render, I'm guessing that these are either designed or built by the same people that did the ones in Shieldfield directly adjacent to the central motorway.

[TownPlanningNE]

Originally Posted by geordiejon

I agree with an earlier note and the city centre certainly seems to expanding outwards eastwards- not a bad idea to be honest. The current buildings around there look awful- typical shit on a main road into central Newcastle- are these buildings better than what is there now- yes, definitely. I personally do not think these look bad as far as student accomodation goes- will there be street level activity, such as retail etc? If so I would be even more pleased.
The question has to be asked could anything else better be built or a better developer be atractive to this site. Well probably not- office would be unlikely with Gallowgate and Stephenson and Baltic. Retail unlikely also- possibly a hotel, but to be honest it would only attract a low budget developer and the building would have been similar. I think the location is ideal for student accom- this is where the this accom should be built- NOT in the firestation on Pilgrim Street!

Taken from an article earlier:

Students' new homes will 'breathe new life' into city
WORK has started on a new £20m student flat and retail development in the east of Newcastle. Once complete the four, five and six-storey buildings on New Bridge Street, Shieldfield, to the east of Northumbria University’s City Campus East, will house more than 400 university students.

So it seems there are plans to include retail in this development.

[TownPlanningNE]

I noticed today a lot of demolition has taken place.

[architect1976]

Must be weird for Whelan construction as they used to occupy that building.

[TownPlanningNE]

The majority of this has now been demolished...

[architect1976]

Link to the planning application documents.

http://planningapplications.newcastl...=K6BFVEBS00900