Major Investment into Sport through Regeneration

In 2000 Newcastle City Council launched a city-wide regeneration strategy called Going for Growth, which aimed to take a strategic approach to regenerating neighbourhoods.

The first area for regeneration is Walker Riverside, located in the east end of the city it covers approximately 3.5 sq. kilometres and contains the thirtieth most deprived ward (Walker) in the country in the 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation.  

Newcastle applied the 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation to the city to obtain an assessment of the level and location of deprivation across the city. The Walker ward is ranked number 1 as the most deprived ward out of 26 wards in the City, with the neighbouring ward of Byker ranked 3.

Currently, some 72% of households in the Walker Riverside area are Council tenants and the objective is to achieve a housing tenure and mix of house types that reflects the housing needs of the  region and sub regionalThere is a target to provide between 1,600 – 2,200 new houses in the Walker area over the next 10 - 15 years.

Newcastle and Places for People entered into a partnership agreement with Places for People in September 2002. In May 2003 the commissioning agreement was signed by Newcastle City Council/Places for People and includes Emblem Homes and Bellway Homes as partners in the agreement.  During September and early October the Planning Authority is consulting local residents and stakeholders on its Preferred Options Report for Walker Riverside, and an Area Action Plan is due to be lodged with the Secretary of State in Spring next year (2006)

This is a very challenging area in which to secure developer contributions for sport and recreation through developer contributions from new housing.

What has Newcastle City Council achieved for sport in regenerating Walker Riverside?

Newcastle City Council has  made a policy decision that the following should be ringfenced and reinvested to enable sustainable communities in Walker Riverside
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£1,000 per house for indoor sports and recreation facilities. This will generate either £3m for the total refurbishment of the major sports facility – the Lightfoot Centre, built in the 1960’s, or £3m towards the cost of brand new leisure faciliies.

£3,000 per house for a combination of investment in formal parks, residential open space and new formal green space, linking parks and housing with routes through the Walker area. This will generate in the order of £6.5m for these facilities and other environmental projects.

How has this all been achieved ?
The most significant factor is that the City Council is the predominant landowner and the rationale for the developer contributions has been established on this basis. In effect, establishing a development levy by considering the indoor sports, open space and formal parks existing provision and anticipated future needs in the area. Then estimating the potential funding requirement and applying a per house development levy on the housing developer to provide for the estimated costs of the provision required. The financial plan has costed these requirements and the funding plan has identified the sources of funding allowing major developments to proceed in advance of the housing renewal itself.

What will the money be spent on ?
1. A £3m complete refurbishment of the Lighfoot Sports Centre - the Lightfoot Sports Centre is a 1960’s building with a circular dome sports hall building which is distinct – if not now unique - in terms of building design. It has a 2 basketball court sports hall; ancillary sports rooms for exercise; extensive changing rooms; outdoor floodlight full size synthetic grass pitch; a five a side football pitches complex and outdoor 400m athletics running track with full field and throwing events.  Should the alternative option of a new facility be favoured by the community and stakeholders at a budgeted figure of £6m the Section 106 developer contribution would meet 50% of the costs with the balance met in part from land proceeds.

2. A radicial improvement and renewal of Walker Riverside’s parks and open spaces in particular, Walker Park itself and  the Rverside Park with a major renewal of these parks but more importantly opening them up through  a network of formal new green corridors, providing a physical link between the formal parks and houses.