Work is set to resume next month on two major Newcastle city centre developments that were hit by the collapse of a North East construction giant.
The next stage in Central Station’s redesign and the transformation of a part of Robert Stephenson’s historic steam locomotive works were both left in limbo when Tolent went into administration earlier this year. Newcastle City Council is now on the verge of appointing builders Robertson to get the two projects back on track.
At the railway station, Robertson will be tasked with finishing work on a new western entrance opposite the Centre for Life which will lead passengers down a new concourse towards the platforms. It is hoped that element of the transport hub’s heavily-delayed revamp will be completed by the end of this year – however, the remainder of the £4m plans will be pushed back into a follow-up project next year.
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The redesign also includes plans for another new entrance to the station on Neville Street, a pedestrianisation of the Orchard Street tunnel, a relocation of the station’s car parks and taxi rank, and new shops and public space inside the station. Those proposals were first unveiled back in 2019 and should have been completed in 2021, but have suffered from several setbacks.
Meanwhile, the council said that the regeneration of the Pattern Shop in the Stephenson Quarter into a modern office development will be finished early next year.
A spokesperson confirmed: “We can confirm we have published an intention to appoint Robertson Construction Limited to complete two important capital projects in the city – improvements to the Central Station and the refurbishment of the building known as Pattern Shop behind the station into space for small and medium sized enterprises.
“Work is expected to resume on both sites next month (July) with the Pattern Shop expected to be complete early next year and the Central Station by the end of the current year.”
Gateshead-based Tolent went into administration in February, with more than 300 jobs lost after the company suffered big losses on the £85m Milburngate development in Durham.
