A £5m overhaul of an abandoned Newcastle police station has finally been approved.
After years of wrangling over the future of the former station on Westgate Road, which have seen controversial plans to open a Burger King come and go, city councillors have at last signed off on a vision to transform the plot. The redesigned proposals will see part of the vacant building converted into 15 apartments, while a drive-thru restaurant or café is still included – but it will not be occupied by Burger King, McDonalds, or any other hot food operator.
Three shops also feature in the redevelopment scheme, which will involve the western portion of the empty police station being demolished. There has been a protracted saga over the site’s future, going back to 2019. Initial redevelopment plans were rejected by Newcastle City Council and were then subject to a public inquiry, after an appeal by developers Hadrian Property, where an inspector upheld the local authority’s verdict.
