Feasibility Study for the Industrial Area - Part 1 (PDF 5 MB)

www.cbuchanan.co.uk
1. Introduction
1.1 The Study
Newcastle City Council (NCC) Economic Development Division
appointed Colin Buchanan in November 2004 to carry out a
feasibility study for a Newcastle industrial area, Walker Riverside.
Specialist consultants have joined Buchanan:
- Wardell Armstrong, for desk-top investigation of ground
conditions
- Gavin Black, for property advice and financial viability
- Turner and Townsend, for project cost analysis
The objectives of the overall study were agreed through the initial
brief, our response to it and the initial project meetings. They are:
- Definition of key parameters and recommendations for the
future of the area in relation to the current offshore/marine
cluster vision.
- Improvement of the interface with the adjacent residential
area, taking into account the proposals of the Places for
People Walker Riverside Masterplan (2004).
- Revision of access arrangements to the area and, in
particular, to some poorly served sites.
- Definition of measures to strengthen the identity and image
of the area and promote local pride.
- Preparation of “packages” of urban design, infrastructure
and property improvements, which will enhance the
economic prosperity of the area.
1.2 The Report
1.2 The Area
The area covered by the study is the Newcastle Walker
Riverside, which is the 70 hectare industrial area located at the
eastern boundary of the city of Newcastle between the Tyne and
Walker Road.
The study area is a narrow strip of land running along the river on
a north/south axis and has an overall river frontage of 2.8 km.
There are major differences in level within the strip, which in
some cases (Wincomblee Road south) shelter the industrial
sites from the residential neighbourhoods. In other cases,
however, steep slopes restrict local access to sites: this is
particularly severe along White Street and east of Fisher Street.
The site is located 10 miles from Newcastle International Airport,
4 miles from Newcastle Central Railway Station, the A1(M) and
A19. The ferry terminal to Scandinavia is also a few miles
downstream, at North Shields.
The area is a Strategic Site within Competitive Newcastle, the ten
year economic development strategy launched by the City
Council in 1999.
Located in the area are a cluster of companies active in the
marine, offshore and engineering sectors. “Anchors” to the area
are three companies: Duco and Wellstream (global offshore
manufacturers) and Sheperd Offshore, a marine logistics
company who also manage the public deep water quay on behalf
of the Council.
A key site is that of A&P Tyne, which was part of the North
Tyneside shipbuilding cluster including Swan Hunter and AMEC,
and which has recently closed.
This report is the final outcome of the study and comprises the
reports of the previous stages of work. Accordingly it is
subdivided in the following main sections, which correspond to
the study main stages:
- Section 1: Baseline Assessments
- Section 2: Strategic Options
- Section 3: Project Packages
Each section is then subdivided in chapters, according to
different topics.
Associated reports are the Ground Condition Report, as part of
Stage 2 of the study, produced by Wardell Armstrong, the Cost
Estimates for the project packages (produced by Turner &
Townsend and summarised in Section 3) and a Colin Buchanan
report on the feasibility of transferring freight traffic on Fossway,
which informed the Strategic Options.
Walker Riverside Feasibility Study Section 1 - p. 3