Plans for the next phase of the redevelopment of Stephenson Quarter, in Newcastle city centre – which could lead to the creation of over 800 jobs – have been given the go-ahead.
The plans – to build the North East Futures University Technical College (UTC) and a six-storey office block called Phoenix – have been given planning consent by Newcastle City Council.
The UTC will focus on teaching information technology and health sciences. It is hoped that the college will eventually have around 600 students aged 14 to 19.
The £200-million Stephenson Quarter scheme, which is being developed by the company Coulston Group, already includes the Stephenson Quarter Car Park and the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The development also includes Rocket, an office block with 35,000 square feet of floor space, and the Boiler Shop, an ex-locomotive workshop built in the 1820s, which has been refurbished to host gigs, corporate functions and other events.
Coulston Group hopes that UTC and Phoenix will be ready to open by September 2018. 175 jobs will be created during the construction of these buildings.
The managing director of Coulston Group, David Coulston, said, “We’re delighted to get the wholehearted support of the city council for this exciting next phase of development at Stephenson Quarter.”
“The two buildings are mutually beneficial and interlinked. Phoenix will accommodate dynamic high growth companies and offer the potential for cooperation with the adjacent UTC, providing students with work experience and mentoring opportunities.”
The UTC’s education director, Alison Shaw, said, “This is a major milestone for the development of the UTC in Newcastle.”
“We are committed to giving young people the technical skills to secure well-paid employment or move into higher education; we’re here to inspire and help our young people get more and better jobs in the future.”
Andrew Hodgson, chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, which works to encourage business growth and investment in the region, said,
“Stephenson Quarter is a hugely significant regeneration project, with the existing developments on the site already having a positive economic impact for the north east.”
“We are very pleased that the next phase of redevelopment is progressing, which will focus on developing our young people’s skills in growing areas of our economy – digital and life sciences.”
Recently, telecoms giant Vodafone announced it would create 600 jobs in Stephenson Quarter.
