Are we entering land of the bland?

Mar 19 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal

AREPORT published by RICS and the think-tank Demos five years ago, known as Northern Soul, highlighted the positive effect that “the cultural buzz” of NewcastleGateshead was having on the region.

Based on a survey of companies in the creative industries, researcher Anna Minton found the brain drain of graduates and professionals to the South-East was being reversed with companies reporting an increase in the number of recruits coming from outside the region.

Improved quality of life, affordable houses and the cultural buzz symbolised by projects like the Baltic and Sage were all factors.

Ms Minton said: “Newcastle and Gateshead have managed to change and grow without losing what I call their ‘soul’ – the sense of identity and character which makes a place distinctively different.”

Her report went on to sound a warning, however, we could still fall into the trap of the “buzz to bland” cycle where creativity and character are lost in a rush of commercial developments. The question is, has NewcastleGateshead managed to maintain that buzz or has over-commercialisation, gentrification and the party-city image turned gloss to dross?

If you focus on the Quayside we have clearly seen a huge amount of commercialisation in the past five years. I would argue that this has taken us into the land of the bland and that to keep the “soul” of NewcastleGateshead intact we need a more balanced approach.

Family homes, schools and shops need to be integrated or we will be in danger of creating a modern ghetto of fairly well off people with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Crucially, we are now at a crossroads. On the one hand, the situation looks positive as local planners aim to raise their game and insist on quality developments. On the other, the current economic climate may scupper their high ideals.

The advent of the Newcastle Gateshead City Development Company is clearly a ground-breaking development. Due to come into existence in about a year’s time, Easter 2009, and not a moment too soon.

However, all of these plans could be in jeopardy due to the current credit crunch. In such circumstances, the danger is that the “buzz” is cut from plans, leaving us with just the “bland”.

A key issue will be land prices and, in my view, they need to soften to reflect the current economic climate and this is where both Newcastle and Gateshead local authorities, the major landowners, can take a lead.

Going by ambition and good intentions, then our “northern soul” is still in safe hands, but we will need to take realistic decisions in the coming months, to reflect the rapidly cooling economic conditions, achieve delivery of our regeneration objectives and maintain quality standards.

Kevan Carrick heads JK Property Consultants LLP and is a policy spokesman for RICS North East.