Newcastle General Hospital

In January we’re hosting – with the support of the North East Combined Authority – the first ever North East Development Conference which is focused on driving regeneration, development and investment into the region. Ahead of the event we hear exclusively from Newcastle University ‘s Director of Estates and Facilities – Iain Garfield – about their involvement in the future growth ambitions of the region:

 

Q. The University plays a crucial role in the regional economy, could you tell us more about how you fit into the regional ecosystem?

A. We are the 3rd biggest employer in Newcastle and 4th in the North East, with £1.1 GVA in the UK. 80% of our students come from outside the region, and around 33% of those who chose to remain in the North East were not, at the start of their course, living in the North East, which means we create a net gain for the region in terms of regional migration with regards to skills. [emaillocker id=”71749″]

Research grants and contracts have helped support major investment in R&D including two National Innovation Centres in ageing and in data and a national research centre for subsea and offshore engineering on the banks of the Tyne.

 

Q. You’ve been working on delivering the massive Newcastle Helix scheme alongside the council and Legal & General, how did this partnership come about?

A. When the Newcastle Brewery site became available for sale in 2005 it offered a fantastic opportunity as a city centre development site, particularly being close location to the University. The University and Newcastle City Council originally partnered with the regional development agency One North East to purchase and begin to plan the future, starting with demolition of the existing buildings.

The RDA was later disbanded by Government, leaving the University and City to lead on master planning and early site development including one new build for the City and some site wide infrastructure. The University planned and constructed three new buildings. Other than this initial development the site failed to attract any inward investment from the market to complete the master plan, until L&G became involved with the offer of funding and expertise to become a third member of a new partnership.

 

Q. What is the progress with the Helix development?

A. The flagship development on the site, our £58 million Urban Sciences Building (USB), opened in September 2017. Home to our world-leading School of Computing and a series of innovative research labs, the USB and its surrounding city area represents a living laboratory underpinning research to make urban centres more sustainable for future generations.

The Frederick Douglass Centre, Newcastle University’s new learning and teaching centre on Newcastle Helix, has been officially opened by a descendant of the world-renowned activist, author and abolitionist.

The opening ceremony was performed by Frederick Douglass’s great-great-great grandson, Kenneth B Morris Jr, on 13 November 2019, exactly 52 years after Newcastle University awarded Dr Martin Luther King Jr an honorary degree.

An anti-slavery campaigner – and at that time, an escaped slave himself – Frederick Douglass came to  Newcastle in 1846 as part of a lecture tour of Great Britain and Ireland, during which he spoke to packed halls and churches about slavery in his native U.S.

While in Newcastle, Douglass stayed with Anna Richardson and her sister-in-law, Ellen, who lived on Summerhill Grove. The two Quaker women actively campaigned for a number of social causes, and raised £150 to buy his freedom.

Nearing completion, The Catalyst building, co-located with two other centres of national expertise, the National Innovation Centre for Data and the National Institute for Health Research Innovation Observatory (NIHRIO), provides a space where people can chat, meet, and collaborate.

 

Q. The University recently purchased Newcastle General Hospital, what are your development plans for the scheme?

The University’s vision is for the development of three zones on land stretching from Nuns Moor Road to Westgate Road and significantly develops the existing facilities for research.

To the North of the site, we are proposing an iconic “Discovery Crucible” which would house laboratories alongside cutting edge clinics. This would allow NHS patients to be seen by experts across all disciplines and as part of University research projects, providing teams with the opportunity to learn from expertise outside their field and breed new and innovative solutions.

The central zone would encompass an innovative “spectrum of independence” test-bed development, which would provide a range of care for older people and a centre of excellence in dementia care. It could encompass a dementia-care village, as modelled in the Netherlands, a care home, intermediate care facility and assisted living such as prototype homes for older people using innovative technology to enable them to live independently.

The vision also proposes a Southerly residential zone with potential for business development encouraging small and medium sized enterprises and commercial partners as well as opportunities for creative arts.

The mixed-use development is consistent with the City Council planning framework. Plans are at an early stage and will require the relevant planning and building processes.

 

Q. What stage are you up to with the general hospital scheme?

A. We have recently appointed a business development consultant to work with us to identify and attract potential development partners for the site. We are also completing the tendering process to appoint a masterplanning design team to work with us and our key partners to develop a masterplan proposal for the site and submit an outline planning application in 2020.

 

Q. Skills in the built environment are an often discussed topic within the industry, how as a university are you trying to tackle the skills shortage?

A. Working with our framework partners we are providing opportunities for people of all ages, but in particular the younger generation to engage with the construction industry and highlight careers within the industry. This has included work placement opportunities school and university visits and talks and more recently a highly successful Schools event held at the recently completed Frederick Douglass Centre at Newcastle Helix.

All construction projects at Newcastle University also provide excellent opportunities to attract new talent into the industry.

 

Q. Technological innovation is a key area where the construction industry has typically struggled, what as a world-leading research institution can you share with us some of the research you have been doing in this sector?

A. We’ve been leading the way by using BIM and offsite construction / modular construction within our estates expansion.

 

Q. What opportunities will the upcoming North East Development Conference bring to your institution?

A. Networking and engagement with the regional construction and development sector. [/emaillocker]