The building of a huge arena development on the Gateshead Quayside is set to take a key step towards finally becoming a reality this week.
Plans for a “world class” entertainment venue and conference centre on the south bank of the Tyne have been in the works for years, with hopes that the project will create hundreds of jobs and deliver an enormous boost to the North East economy. But construction on the cleared site, nestled between the Sage music centre and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, has yet to begin after the inflation crisis sent the price of the scheme rocketing to above £300m.
The escalating costs forced bosses to redraw the proposals, removing a large hotel that had drawn the ire of Quayside neighbours, and to seek financial help from the Government – with a £20m bid to the Levelling Up Fund succeeding at the second attempt. Now the redesigned version of the riverside complex is due to get the seal of approval from councillors, paving the way for building work to begin later this year.
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The latest proposals for the arena from developers Ask:PATRIZIA are expected to be approved by Gateshead Council’s planning committee on Wednesday morning. The key change from the original plans that were approved in late 2020 is the removal of the 11-storey hotel which would have sat at one end of the complex, next to the Baltic Quay flats where residents had complained about the building blocking out light to their homes.
Instead of the hotel, which will instead be built on a nearby plot at the corner of Quarryfield Road and Hawks Road, there will be a “linear park” connecting the Quayside to the Baltic Business Quarter. Other amendments include the removal of an underground link to the Sage Gateshead and an extended balcony on the exhibition centre.
A report from council planning officials ahead of Wednesday's meeting concludes that the project, which has received no objections, is “of a good quality of design and well related in terms of scale, mass and appearance to the surroundings”. It adds: “Removal of the dual brand hotel would have significant benefits in removing a tall built element away from the part of the site in closest proximity to the Baltic Quay Apartments, allowing the opportunity for more light and open space.”
The new development will be known as The Sage, with Sage PLC having bought the naming rights for it. That means that the existing Sage concert venue next door is due to be renamed.
It has been estimated that the development will bring in 387,000 extra visitors to the region every year and increase tourism spending by £63.6m. The new, 12,500-capacity arena will also act as a replacement for the existing Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
