New homes are being built on derelict land in Newcastle thanks to a £1/2m investment by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA).
£500,000 has been spent to enable the construction of 43 new homes on the Newbiggin Hall Estate, where the old shopping centre was demolished to make room for houses. Elected Metro Mayor of the NTCA, Jamie Driscoll, said the £6.08m scheme would provide good, affordable homes for families wanting to live in Newcastle.
The North of Tyne investment paid for the demolition and clearing of the old Newbiggin Hall shopping centre, which had become dilapidated and was a magnet for antisocial behaviour.
The new homes are being built by Newcastle City Council for Your Homes Newcastle and will be available as affordable housing with shared ownership and rent to buy options. Due to be completed by May 2024, the development has been designed to be within easy walking distance of a new doctors’ surgery and the shops for new residents.
Mayor Driscoll said: “Everybody’s talking about a housing crisis. In Newbiggin Hall we’ve helped 43 homes to be built, all of them affordable: a mixture of good old fashioned council housing and shared ownership models, and rent to buy.
“Every one of these homes has solar panels on the roof and air-sourced heat pumps which is going to tackle a large part of the cost of living crisis for the people who live here, and it’s making real progress with the housing crisis.”