Newcastle Great Park

Last updated

Newcastle Great Park
Newcastle Great Park - Warkworth Woods.jpg
Tyne and Wear UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Newcastle Great Park
Location within Tyne and Wear
OS grid reference NZ 229 709
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Postcode district NE3, NE13
Dialling code 0191
Police Northumbria
Fire Tyne and Wear
Ambulance North East
UK Parliament
Website newcastlegreatpark.com
List of places
UK
England
Tyne and Wear
55°01′55″N1°38′38″W / 55.032°N 1.644°W / 55.032; -1.644

Newcastle Great Park is a new suburb in the north of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Much of Newcastle Great Park is still under development and is sandwiched in between older areas of Newcastle, namely Gosforth, Fawdon and Kingston Park to the south, and Hazlerigg to the north. Newcastle Great Park is the largest housing development in the North East of England. [1]

Contents

History

Development of this area, Newcastle City Council's 'Northern Development Area' had been in planning since at least 1991. [2] In the 1990s the plans consisted of 2,500 houses and a 200-acre business and industrial development which could provide up to 10,000 jobs. [3] Current indicative phasing shows plans for 3,300+ homes by 2030 and 4,100+ beyond 2030. [1]

Play park within Melbury development (April 2014) Newcastle Great Park - Melbury.jpg
Play park within Melbury development (April 2014)
Great Park Store within Melbury development (now closed). Newcastle Great Park - Melbury shop.jpg
Great Park Store within Melbury development (now closed).

Prior to the area becoming a large housing and business development, the area to the north of the Great Park development was Hazlerigg Colliery. After the colliery closed the land it stood on was redeveloped into Havannah Nature Reserve. Fawdon Wagonway served the local collieries during the 19th century; the Wagonway lends its name to a street in the new development and part of the wagonway's route is still in existence as a public footpath.

Development

The Newcastle Great Park development is 15 years into a 30+ year building project. [1] Estates within the Great Park include:

Housing is currently under development by Charles Church, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey. Great Park town centre is under construction near Brunton Lane to the west of the A1. [4] According to Newcastle City Council the town centre will include a supermarket, high street style shops, cafés, restaurants, a hotel, nursing home, private hospital and leisure facilities.

Housing numbers

House building in Great Park started in 2001 on the Warkworth Woods development shortly followed by Melbury in 2002. The table below shows current and planned housing numbers, in date order, up to 2030: [5]

Development NameDevelopment CellDeveloperTimescaleNumber of Homes
Warkworth WoodsCell HBryant Homes2001–2005175
MelburyCell ITBC2002–2010500
GreensideCell GTaylor Wimpey & Persimmon Homes2007–2016326
Town Centre (Flats - phase 1)Cell FTBC2009–201082
East Moor VillageCell FTaylor Wimpey2009–201282
Brunton Village / Grange (phase 1)Cell FTaylor Wimpey & Persimmon Homes2010–2015282
Brunton Grange (phase 2)Cell FTaylor Wimpey & Persimmon Homes2013–2019332
Elmwood Park Court / View / Gardens / GreenCell CPersimmon Homes & Charles Church2013–2021432
Brunton Green / Grange (phase 3)Cell ETaylor Wimpey & Persimmon Homes2015–2019155
Town Centre (Flats - phase 2)Cell FTBC2016–201738
Brunton WestCell DTaylor Wimpey2017–202182
Brunton MeadowsCell DPersimmon Homes2017–202181
West HeathCell DTaylor Wimpey2017–2021164
The OaklandsCell DCharles Church2020-202244
TBCCell DTBC2021–2029429
TBCCell ATBC2021–2030880

Education

Newcastle Great Park contains two first schools, Brunton First School and Havannah First School, and as Newcastle operates a three tier education system older students feed into Gosforth Junior High Academy and on to Gosforth Academy (via its Great Park Academy new school). Brunton First School opened in September 2009 [6] and Havannah First School opened in 2022 when Gosforth's Broadway East First School relocated to the Great Park. [7]

In 2015 the academy unveiled a bid to build an additional 1,200-place secondary school in Newcastle Great Park as potential plan to meet the demand for school places from the expanding residential community in the area. [8] The Secretary of State for Education confirmed the proposal to build a school as part of the Gosforth Academy federation at the Great Park in Cell A with an intended opening date of September 2020. [9] Formal approval of a first school providing spaces for 450 pupils and a middle/secondary school for up to 1,700 pupils was granted by Newcastle City Council in October 2019. [10] The Great Park Academy (GPA) has been delayed due a judicial review process which wildlife campaigners lost in February 2020. [11] [12] The new schools are now expected to open in 2025 [13] and contingency measures, including 'bulge classes' at existing schools, are being implemented to provide for pupils. [14]

Business

Sage

The former Great Park headquarters of business software company Sage Group plc. Sage Group Newcastle HQ 1.jpg
The former Great Park headquarters of business software company Sage Group plc.

The software company Sage Group had their world headquarters in Newcastle Great Park between 2004 and 2021. [15] Sage Group's building, named North Park, was one of the first occupants of Newcastle Great Park in 2004 as Sage moved their Newcastle-based staff into a single building for the first time having previously been spread between two buildings on Benton Park Road and also in Horsley House in Regent Centre. As of 2021 Sage's building in Great Park is vacant and up for sale/lease. [16]

Sage's 32,000 square metres (340,000 sq ft) building housing approximately 1500 employees was built at a cost of £57 million. [17] The building was worked on by Cundall, Tolent and idpartnership architects, [18] and required the use of the largest mobile crane in the country at the time of construction. [19] The building was shortlisted for the British Council for Offices Awards (2005 - Corporate Workplace Project) and was the runner up for the Landmark Awards (2005 - Office Development). [20]

During the planning stages Sage's building was initially earmarked for Cell B of the development before switching to Cell C; moving further from the A1 road. [21] The building was designed to be built in two phases and able to house up to 3000 members of staff, however this expansion did not occur. [22]

In 2019 Sage announced their intention to move their Newcastle office out of their North Park headquarters building and into the Cobalt Business Park, [23] the UK's largest business park, signing a 15-year lease starting 2020/2021. [24]

Esh Plaza

Esh Plaza Office, Esh Plaza Business Park, Newcastle Great Park (geograph 5034055).jpg
Esh Plaza

Esh Plaza is a business office development consisting of two buildings that includes the headquarters of Bede Gaming – previous occupants included the Credit Services Association and the NHS. [25] [26]

Shopping

A Londis shop, which opened on Featherstone Grove in March 2011, was the first store in the Melbury estate (this changed to a Premier Express shop known as 'The Great Park Store'), but this has since closed.

A pharmacy is open in the town centre area. In July 2021 a branch of One Stop opened in Middleton South in the Town Centre. [27]

In 2023 a Morrisons supermarket opened. [28]

A dental practice opened in the town centre in August 2022 on the site of Middleton North.

Community

The Great Park Community Centre, based on Roseden Way, opened in March 2014 and provides a range of services and facilities to the local community including:

A wide range of activities run from the centre including A Church of England group, Pilates, Children's Dance, Drama Sessions, Martial Arts, Girl Guides, Summer Camps, Free Play and more. [29]

Transport

Air

The closest airport to Newcastle Great Park is Newcastle International Airport, which is located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) away by road, or 2.9 miles (4.7 km) as the crow flies.

Bus

As of November 2024, Newcastle Great Park is served by the following bus routes:

RouteDestination
49 Eldon Square BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG
via Brunton Park, Regent Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG & Gosforth
Q3 Wallsend BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG
via Regent Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG , Gosforth, Jesmond TWMetro logo no text.PNG , City Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG , Quayside, Ouseburn, St Peter's Basin, Walker & Walkergate TWMetro logo no text.PNG
Q3X [note 1] Wallsend BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG
express via Regent Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG , Gosforth, City Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG , Quayside, Ouseburn, St Peter's Basin, Walker & Walkergate TWMetro logo no text.PNG
X46 Haymarket BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG
express via Regent Centre BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG & Gosforth
X47 Eldon Square BSicon BUS2.svg TWMetro logo no text.PNG
express via Kingston Park BSicon BUS2.svg & Cowgate


The X46 links Haymarket bus station with Gosforth, Regent Centre and Featherstone Grove (Melbury). The route operates every hour during the day (Monday to Saturday), and with no Sunday services.

The Quaycity Q3 links Wallsend, Walker, Ouseburn and Quayside with Haymarket bus station, [note 2] Gosforth, Jesmond, Regent Centre, Great Park Park and Ride and Great Park Village. The route operates up to every 20 minutes during the day (Monday to Saturday), and half-hourly during the evening and on Sunday. There are also extra buses at peak times.

The Q3 got brand new Yutong E12 electric single decker buses in 2022. [30]

As of September 1st 2024 Go North East service Q3 no longer serves Great Park and instead was replaced by Stagecoach North East X47 service giving passengers a link to Kingston Park, Cowgate and Eldon Square Bus Station. A new service 49 was also introduced to continue the link to Regent Centre, Gosforth High Street and Eldon Square Bus Station that was provided by the Q3 albeit with a less frequent service.

Rail

The closest Tyne and Wear Metro stations to Newcastle Great Park are located at Fawdon and Kingston Park, with Newcastle Central and Manors being the closest National Rail station.

Road

Newcastle Great Park is situated on the A1 road, to the north of Newcastle. The A19 is near the great park with links to North and South Tyneside. The A19 Interhange is at junction 80, only one junction up from the Great Park. The Great Park is also near the A696 road. This starts only two junctions away from the Great Park at junction 77. The A696 provides connectivity to the Airport, Ponteland, Otterburn and Rural Northumberland.

Cycle Paths/Road

Cycling is via a dedicated partially segregated cycle route from Newcastle City Centre. However, there is then no dedicated cycle path along the busy Broadway West artery from the Great North Road to the A1 and on to Greenside and Great Park (only a very partially segregated path near Fawdon and over the A1 then winding round to Kingston Park, but not great for commuters or in winter when this is very quiet and dark, and nothing along Kingston Park Road). However a dedicated, segregated route is being campaigned for currently. Local people are signing a new Cycle Lane for Broadway West petition to reduce congestion and improve safety.

Notes

  1. ↑ Q3X operates during morning/evening peak hours only (weekdays & Saturday).
  2. ↑ Quaylink Q3 serves Eldon Square Bus Station on journeys towards Wallsend.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 One Core Strategy - Newcastle Great Park Policy NN4 presentation, Newcastle City Council, 15 October 2014
  2. ↑ Newsletter 3, Newcastle Action Group to Save the Green Belt, November 1993
  3. ↑ Northern Development Area Bulletin No 1, 25 March 1998
  4. ↑ "Newcastle Great Park - Newcastle City Council" . Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. ↑ One Core Strategy, EXAD48 Newcastle Great Park revised housing delivery numbers, June 2014
  6. ↑ "Brunton First School". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Havannah First School". www.havannah.newcastle.sch.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "New £30m school planned for Gosforth to tackle Newcastle's pupil places shortage". The Evening Chronicle. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Great Park Update: June 2017". www.gosforthacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "Newcastle Great Park expansion formally approved | Newcastle City Council". www.newcastle.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  11. ↑ Holland, Daniel (12 February 2020). "Campaigners lose High Court battle over 1,200 new homes at Great Park". Newcastle Chronicle. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  12. ↑ "Great Park". Newcastle residential areas. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Newcastle Great Park Academy opening delayed until 2025". BBC News. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  14. ↑ Holland, Daniel (17 February 2020). "Newcastle facing shortage of school places for 2020 and 2021". Newcastle Chronicle. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Contact us". Sage Group . Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  16. ↑ Ford, Coreena (29 March 2021). "Sage Plc headquarters in Newcastle goes up for sale". Business Live. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Sage becomes first FTSE100 company to open its doors to Google Business View". Cundall. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  18. ↑ "Sage Headquarters". IDPartnership. 1 January 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  19. ↑ "Sage Headquarters". Tolent Construction. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "Sage Headquarters". Cundall. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  21. ↑ Newcastle Great Park December 2001 NGP Bulletin Number 8.
  22. ↑ "Sage HQ set to be approved". The Journal. 23 February 2002.
  23. ↑ "Sage announces £40m investment in major new hub for colleagues in the North East". Sage Group plc. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "Sage signs 15-year lease at Cobalt Business Park". Property Funds World. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  25. ↑ "Contact CSA". Credit Services Association. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  26. ↑ "Bevan House directions" (PDF). NHS North of Tyne. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  27. ↑ Dickinson, Katie (2 July 2021). "First shop to open in Newcastle Great Park town centre after more than 10 years". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  28. ↑ Holland, Daniel (2 March 2021). "A supermarket is finally coming to Newcastle Great Park". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  29. ↑ "Great Park Community Centre" . Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  30. ↑ Goodwin, Nicole (1 September 2022). "Go North East Q3 bus gets modern update with new fully electric fleet". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
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