Vital stage reached in revamp of city centre

Apr 9 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal

THE development of the East Pilgrim Street area of Newcastle city centre reaches a vital stage this month with a high level meeting between the city council and developer Brookfield.

Brookfield, formerly Multiplex, now controls around 70% of the property bounded by Pilgrim Street, New Bridge Street, Carliol Street, and the 55 Degrees North roundabout.

The site contains some significant listed buildings – the art deco Carliol House, Newcastle Central Police Station and the adjacent disused fire station, and the historic redbrick Worswick Chambers.

However it appears the former Odeon Cinema, de-listed several years ago by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will not have a role to play in any redevelopment.

A period of public consultation has now been completed, giving Newcastle residents and businesses the opportunity to put their views forward on how the site should be utilised. Brookfield’s Mark Robinson is to meet senior planners at Newcastle City Council to start discussing the detail of how the enormous site will be divided up, and what land uses will go where.

Brookfield is known to favour using the established Pilgrim Street, with its grand facades, to form a natural extension to Northumberland Street.

One of the other key questions to be addressed is how the site can be linked to the Quayside, and thus link up the city in a way it has not been for decades since the building of the A167 Central Motorway. There is also broad acknowledgement that the way to develop the site’s potential is to attract a high fashion retailer such as Harvey Nichols or Selfridges.

Brookfield is working with architects Bolles Wilson to draw up detailed plans for the East Pilgrim Street site, to develop the ideas put forward as masterplan options by BDP (Building Design Partnership) in conjunction with the council for the consultation process.

Mr Robinson said: “We are hoping for further constructive talks and to progress the masterplan as soon as possible.”