Setback for Ouseburn creative hub proposal

Plans for a mixed-use development built using shipping containers at a disused industrial site in Newcastle’s Ouseburn area have been dealt a blow after the application was recommended for refusal.VESSL has been proposed by design and fabrication company Raskl.Under the plans, the former Canvas Works on Lime Street would be demolished, to be replaced by a three- and four-storey structure made up of 36 steel shipping containers.The facility would provide 24 individual studios, with a roof terrace and cafés and restaurants at ground floor level.According to the design and access statement, the studios would range from 210 to 510 sq ft, and would provide a “response to the lack of availability of workspace” for the regional creative sector.The scheme received support in consultation responses from members of the public and the Ouseburn Trust.However, concerns were raised by Transportation Development about the lack of suitable parking space in the surrounding area.Newcastle City Council’s planning committee report said that without additional parking provision, the development “would result in an unacceptable impact on highway safety along Lime Street”.Planning officers have therefore recommended the application for refusal ahead of the committee’s next meeting on July 5.