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#1 ·
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#2 ·
that looks like a great plan for the area. though it would be wise to move those gas holders from the site.

that masterplan has also highlighted the route of the train viaduct which would be an asset to the area if it could be turned into some sort of tram-train route that eventually joined up to Scotswood Road and other parts of Benwell, leading up to the Expo site. hmm, makes too much sense for the govt to fund, though.
 
#8 ·
Newcastle Arena & Conference Centre Re-Development | Newcastle | Dormant

A STUDY has pinpointed Gateshead’s Quayside as a site for a prestigious new conference centre.

Regeneration bosses say the £80m International Conference and Exhibition Centre would create 2,000 jobs and bring £25m of investment to the region each year, by attracting 250,000 extra visitors.

Council leaders in Gateshead say they are pleased the plans fit in with the borough’s future ambitions.

But across the water in Newcastle some are disappointed the city may miss out.

City development company 1NG says there is huge demand within the region for conference facilities which cannot be met at the moment, with some lucrative contracts having to be turned away.

1NG commissioned a feasibility study into the plans for the centre. Gateshead Quays was identified as the preferred site, due to other buildings already in the area, such as The Sage Gateshead, Baltic art centre and Hilton hotel, which planners believe would create a “conference district”.

It is envisaged public sector cash, from One North East, Gateshead Council and other partners, would be used to pay for the centre, but 1NG says it will also seek to attract funding from the private sector.

Consultants KPMG, who have previously worked on conference centres in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, will come up with detailed plans for the centre, including what it will look like.

Meanwhile 1NG will come up with a masterplan for the site and the whole area. If all goes to plan building work could start in mid-2011 and would take three years to complete.

ING chief executive Jim McIntyre said: “NewcastleGateshead has already established a strong track record in securing major domestic and international conferences. However, due to the absence of large-scale flat-floor conference and exhibition facilities NewcastleGateshead is limited in the scope and scale of events it can accommodate and has to turn away larger and more lucrative conference and exhibition events.

“Although work is at an early stage, an international conference and exhibition centre would be a great economic driver for the region.

“It is important in times of economic difficulty as in times of growth to be positive and this has always been a strength of NewcastleGateshead as a destination. The development of an international conference and exhibition centre would help deliver substantial and sustainable results for the long-term success of the region.”

Gateshead Council leader Mick Henry said: “This kind of development would certainly fit in with our ambitions to be a city and would be another exciting new use on Gateshead Quays that would benefit the whole region.

“It is the kind of development we would like to attract as part of the new economic masterplan for Gateshead & Newcastle and would bring a welcome boost to the area’s economy.”

Newcastle Labour leader Nick Forbes said: “This proves how much better Gateshead is than Newcastle at planning major regeneration projects.

“It will be a huge missed opportunity for Newcastle to have a prestigious international conference centre across the water. Good on Gateshead for getting their act together and shame on Newcastle for dithering around.

“It’s disappointing for Newcastle that it’s lost out again. This will bring jobs and economic benefits for the region and will help put the North East on the map.”

But Newcastle’s deputy council leader David Faulkner said: “True to form, Coun Forbes indulges in party political point-scoring rather than working for the best interests of our area. If a conference centre makes best economic and physical sense on the Gateshead side of the river then so be it. We need the best possible case to give us the strongest chance of funding. In reality the economic benefit from conferences will flow strongly to the local hotels and restaurants, most of which are in Newcastle.

“Newcastle has two universities, a cathedral, a football stadium, top hotels, several great theatres and galleries and the country’s best new library, together with commercial redevelopment plans for over a third of the city centre area, from Science City to the Stephenson Quarter and East Pilgrim Street. We don’t need to hog everything.”
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2009/11/03/gateshead-quayside-in-line-for-80m-conference-centre-61634-25075978/
 
#9 ·
very interesting. any further details on this including a precise location? If it is inbetween the Baltic and the Sage then this will kill off any pretensions Kier had about developing the GQ2 site. I'd hope we wouldn't just get an ugly flat pack low-rise groundscraper on this site though, as conference centres can often be, but a dramatic multi-level structure with some other complementary uses thrown in, such as hotels.
 
#10 ·
I've done a quick search but I can't find any location details, I may be able to do a more complete search when I have a bit more time. The only location that is coming to mind for me is where you've mentioned, between the Sage and the Baltic. Hopefully now the plan is out in the public we'll start to hear more information on it.

If it is that location mentioned I think it would be a brilliant place to hold conferences and exhibitions, however like you said it would have to be of a high design quality, and I've no doubt planners and architects would strive for that knowing how prestigious the location is.
 
#12 ·
Plaudits to Gateshead council for coming up with this. I have to say I agree with David Faulkener - there don't seem to be large enough sites in the centre of Newcastle, unless, of course, the Great White Ele... Science City scheme could be cancelled or curtailed and a conference centre erected there.
 
#13 ·
In simple location terms, the Quays is a more logical place to put this than Forth Yards.

If we are going to collaborate with Gateshead on planning and development matters via 1NG, I think this is the right decision - a conference centre on Forth Yards would be a bit detached from everything else, including hotels - on the Quayside either on the GQ2 site (which has bitten the dust) and potentially expanding onto the back plot, it would be at the "centre" of Newcastle-Gateshead and would "complete" the Quayside very well.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Forth Yards, more specifically rebuilding on the arena and carpark, would be my preferred site for a new Conference Centre.

It is a sloping area but it's already been part flattened (for the arena) and as for being out of the way - conference centres usually are, ie excel or javits, on the fringes of the urban centre, because they need huge expanses of free land and anyway tend not to blend into the urban realm very well. anyway Forth Yards isn't THAT out of the way, being closer to central station than gateshead quays is, and anyway a convention centre would create it's own centering force with transport, hotels and other services clustering around the demand.

looking at models for inspiration, denver's recent convention centre is very nice and something like this would look good on the quays. however the urban integration would have to be of a very high quality to compensate for the lost public space.

.
 
#16 ·
I think Forth Banks site makes sense, its not too far away from everything else. Its right next to Jurys Inn and will be located near the soon to be built Crowne Plaza, not forgetting the Copthorne down on the quayside and Royal Staion and Thistle at Central. Also you have access directly from A1 over the Redhugh Bridge and trains at Central, oh and of course our (ahem!) fantastic national bus station!:nuts:
 
#17 ·
This article highlights again the absurd situation we have with this whole NewcastleGateshead bollocks. There is no way Newcastle and Gateshead should be in competition with each other.

Gateshead's ambition of becoming a city??? Give me a break. Just merge the two places and be done with this sorry nonesense. Maybe then we can work together to bring a conference centre to the banks of the Tyne and not squibble about which side of the river it's going to sit.
 
#18 ·
This article highlights again the absurd situation we have with this whole NewcastleGateshead bollocks. There is no way Newcastle and Gateshead should be in competition with each other.

Gateshead's ambition of becoming a city??? Give me a break. Just merge the two places and be done with this sorry nonesense. Maybe then we can work together to bring a conference centre to the banks of the Tyne and not squibble about which side of the river it's going to sit.
Agree totally. It's time common sense was used and the boroughs of Gateshead and (particularly) North Tyneside, became legally part of the place that they (by all other definitions) already are part of.

Can anyone tell me a single part of Newcastle City Centre, that is MORE part of the City Centre than the narrow strip of land overlooking the Quayside from the other side of the river with the Baltic and the Sage on?

None of those places would/could exist if they were not where they are . . unless they were elsewhere in the City Centre that is!!

Same will apply to this conference centre, exactly the same.
 
#19 ·
There are potential sites in Newcastle where a conference centre can be built, no doubt about it BUT i have no problems with it being situated on Gateshead - a conference centre as the article mentions would benefit the entire area so its not a major issue which side its on. Though you could argue that the centre would be more suited on the Gateshead side because its next to the Sage, Baltic and Hilton.

End of the day i think its important a conference centre gets built - the exact location does not matter in the grand scheme of things since we are seen as one location really

Dont like Forbes's attempts at political point scoring - very cheap tactics.
 
#20 ·
Yes, Forth Yards seems to be a better alternative, close to everything (including the chance to create a travelater from the station). Forth Yrds also seems to be a few years ahead in planning then what Gatesheads plans are. Maybe we could have both, it's well know the we lack cnference facilties alot, and need many more, enough for 2 dedicated places.

I agree with Historian, would the Gateshead Queyside of existed if it wasn't shadowed by Newcastle?, I think not. There wouldn't be any call for it. Just merge it along with North and South Tyneside into Greater Newcastle. It's pointless for 3 different councils to be working agisnt each other, and against NCC, when NCC will always come out on top because of it's transport links, non of these places would exist without Newcastle, sorry if your one of these Gateshead people who dislike Newcastle because Gateshead has always been seen to be the back ally of Newcastle, it is, so to is north and South Tyneside. Imgine how bad these places would be withour Newcastle, and lets be honest, they are not the best of places now.

Anyway, I can see that I'm rambling, and have sort of gone off topic again, maybe there is a call for a merge the council's thread on here.

Why does it seem that we on SSC are the only ones with any sense?
 
#21 ·
This article highlights again the absurd situation we have with this whole NewcastleGateshead bollocks. There is no way Newcastle and Gateshead should be in competition with each other.

Gateshead's ambition of becoming a city??? Give me a break. Just merge the two places and be done with this sorry nonesense. Maybe then we can work together to bring a conference centre to the banks of the Tyne and not squibble about which side of the river it's going to sit.
agree, but tbf it is the opposition leader pointing out that it will be in Gateshead, while the lib dem deputy leader of newcastle says it is fine.
 
#22 ·
agree, but tbf it is the opposition leader pointing out that it will be in Gateshead, while the lib dem deputy leader of newcastle says it is fine.
Maybe he has confidence in Forth Yards though. Like I said it seems to be further down the line, Greg said the other day that Barrets or someone like that are planning it currently. Maybe we are further down the line then the public know, and maybe he just says, "fine, you have a few years of hard work to catch up on, we are nearly there, go ahead try the compitition, your going to fail."

Or maybe, just maybe I'm reading too much into the fine part.
 
#23 ·
I have no problem with a conference centre being on the Gateshead side of the river if that is the best site for it with the most potential.

What's good for the wider region as well as the whole city (and I don't just mean Newcastle council area) is more important to me than Gateshead v Newcastle v Sunderland v N.Tyneside bollocks.

It hasn't done Newcastle any harm having the Baltic, Hilton or Sage on the Gateshead side of the river, infact I think it has done wonders for both Newcastle and Gateshead. Same as having the BBC, IWM and Lowry Centre in Salford has/will do wonders for Manchester.

The sooner people start seeing beyond the artificial abitary boundaries that have been forced upon us the better.
 
#24 ·
I have no problem with a conference centre being on the Gateshead side of the river if that is the best site for it with the most potential.

What's good for the wider region as well as the whole city (and I don't just mean Newcastle council area) is more important to me than Gateshead v Newcastle v Sunderland v N.Tyneside bollocks.

It hasn't done Newcastle any harm having the Baltic, Hilton or Sage on the Gateshead side of the river, infact I think it has done wonders for both Newcastle and Gateshead. Same as having the BBC, IWM and Lowry Centre in Salford has/will do wonders for Manchester.

The sooner people start seeing beyond the artificial abitary boundaries that have been forced upon us the better.
VERY much so. Before the Gateshead Quays area acquired the Sage and the Baltic and before the Millenium Bridge was built, it didn't matter HOW MUCH investment was poured into Newcastle . . all you saw on National TV was someone being interviewd in Newcastle (on the Quayside after some big development) with the desolate scruffiness of the Gateshead edge in the background.

The development of the Gateshead Quays has "completed the Newcastle Picture" from an appearence perspective, and has led to the greater acknowledgement (nationwide/worldwide) of what a great place (as WE always knew) that this area is!

Newcastle / Newcastle City Centre / Tyneside / the North East - call it what you like . . owes a LOT to the sudden gentrification of the North edge of Gateshead, overlooking the Tyne.

"Well done Gateshead" (but, you should still be legally part of Newcastle, A S A P !!!)
 
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