Newcastle is set to be at the heart of a nationwide regeneration push as Labour’s Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, launched Platform 4, a new government development company aimed at transforming disused railway land into vibrant new communities.
00:00During a visit to the city, Labour's Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander introduced Platform 4,
00:06a new publicly owned government development company tasked with transforming surplus railway land into vibrant new communities.
00:14Backed by £1bn in public funding, the initiative aims to deliver up to 40,000 homes nationwide over the next decade,
00:22while attracting more than £350m in private sector investment.
00:26One of the first four priority sites for the scheme is 4th Yards, a 50-acre derelict industrial zone located just west of Newcastle City Centre.
00:36The wider site has long been viewed as a key regeneration opportunity, with the potential to accommodate up to 2,500 homes.
00:45Now, a section known as the 4th Goods Yard, a network rail-owned parcel of land close to Central Station, has been earmarked for early development.
00:53Initial plans for the Goods Yard include the construction of up to 600 homes, a 650-space multi-storey car park,
01:01and a New York-style elevated pedestrian and cycle route, inspired by the city's Highline Park.
01:07The proposed route would run along a disused railway viaduct and connect to the new neighbourhood directly to Newcastle Central Station.
01:14It's exciting to picture the thousands of families who will live in these future homes, the vibrant neighbourhoods springing up,
01:21and the new businesses that will launch thanks to these developments, said Alexander.
01:26Platform 4 will breathe new life into these spaces, supporting jobs and economic growth,
01:31and helping us deliver our Plan for Change target of 1.5 million homes by 2029.
01:37The Department for Transport described the scheme as a way to breathe life into forgotten corners of Britain's railway land.
