Green light for Newcastle General Hospital regeneration

Plans for a £500m regeneration scheme at the site of the former Newcastle General Hospital, including research and academic facilities, alongside NHS and health services, have been backed by the council.Newcastle University is behind the outline masterplan, that looks to regenerate the 29-acre site which houses the Campus for Ageing and Vitality.The site was purchased by the University from Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2019 in a £7.5m deal.The scheme will create 15 separate development plots including residential institutions, homes, business and commercial uses, community and leisure amenities and small-scale retail.The development hopes to build on the success of the Newcastle Helix site, which is home to a number of life science and related biotech companies.A design and access statement accompanying the application said that the university is developing the site to be a “world-leading example of intergenerational living, co-locating education, health and a spectrum of residential developments.”It said its vision is to help people live longer and healthier lives through its “global leadership in ageing and research, providing innovative solutions for living, leisure, learning and employment from Newcastle for the world.”The former hospital, which used to reside at the site, was originally constructed as the infirmary for the Newcastle Union Workhouse and opened in 1870. It was a fully operational site until 2008, when most of the services at the hospital were moved to the Royal Victoria Infirmary and the Freeman Hospital.Newcastle City Council green lit the plans on Friday 25 February subject to conditions.