Newcastle Great Park Lichfield

Located three miles north west of Newcastle city centre, Newcastle Great Park (NGP) is the largest private sector development in the north of England. The scheme's objective is to, “assist in reversing the trend of outward migration as part of city-wide regeneration initiative through a sustainable development consisting of an 80 ha business park and 2,500 homes over a 12 year period.”

A planning application was submitted in 1998 for a major mixed use, urban extension, options to acquire the site were exercised before outline planning was granted consent in 2000.
The consent included:

• 2,500 houses at 35 dph average density
• 80 hectares of employment land
• Neighbourhood centre
• 20,000 sq metres net retail space
• 150 hectare Country Park, open space, and community and leisure facilities
• Affordable housing
• Social and community enhancements in local area
• Public transport enhancements, including branded bus services
• £1.2m to improve cycleways
• 1,000 space park and ride
• Widening of the A1 at key locations

Development started on site in 2001 and by the end of 2006 together with considerable amounts of infrastructure about over 500 houses and Sage Computers’ headquarters had been completed. A revised Masterplan was published in 2006. The development appears in “Best Practice in Urban Extensions and New Settlements” TCPA 2007.

Best Practice elements of the development scheme include:

• Green Travel Plan for employment, residential and schools including a cycle purchase subsidy scheme.
• Design Coding
• Brownfield/greenfield development linkage to avoid greenfield development overrun
• Development Site Strategy Statements for each phase
• Green Transport Co-ordinator funding
• Energy project always available for public viewing in each housing development cell
• NGP Management Trust
• Training commitment
• Phase release predicated on: annual review of housing development in Newcastle, national planning policy, City Council objectives, and provision of infrastructure
• A Project Director and team have been jointly appointed to deliver the development. A NGP Advisory Committee at Newcastle City Council provides an interface with Council members. There is rigorous reporting regime with the City Council. The Energy projects are monitored by Newcastle University.