500 new riverside homes on the site of old power station

Oct 26 2007 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A NEW residential development is taking shape on a regeneration site on the River Tyne at Blaydon thanks to close collaboration between two major housebuilders and their Newcastle lawyers.

Teams from Barratt and Persimmon were advised by specialist property lawyers from Ward Hadaway on the acquisition of the 35-acre former Stella South power station site. More than 500 homes, ranging from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses, will be built on the land on the south bank of the Tyne.

A river walkway and a pub/restaurant are also being planned for the development, to be called Riverside Crescent. Lesley Fairclough, partner in the property department at Ward Hadaway, led the firm’s team on the deal. She said: “This was a long-term project which we are delighted to see come to fruition.

“In many ways, it is a classic example of regeneration with a disused brownfield site being transformed into a key new housing development with added benefits to the local community.”

The lawyers’ planning and regeneration expertise was called upon to help Barratt and Persimmon complete the purchase of the site.

Ms Fairclough said: “There are a number of conditions attached to the planning permission for the site, including putting in a new bus route to link the development to Blaydon bus station, but all these will be successfully fulfilled to help create what will hopefully be a vibrant new community on the banks of the Tyne.”

Bernard Rooney, managing director of Barratt Newcastle, said: “We are delighted to be regenerating the Stella South power station site.

“It has taken several years to secure planning permission for the Riverside Crescent development.

“Following two planning refusals and a High Court challenge, we secured detailed planning permission at appeal in December 2001, albeit with 47 conditions, all of which have now been finally discharged, now resulting in a total development of 522 units.”