Newcastle

Introduction

Newcastle upon Tyne is on the north bank of the river Tyne. Historically Newcastle was at the forefront of 19th century industrial innovation. At one time a quarter of the world’s shipbuilding was centred in there. As traditional industries have declined other industries have grown and the local economy has diversified. Newcastle is a designated Science City. There has been large-scale regeneration in Newcastle with the Quayside providing a focus for range of hotels, bars and restaurants. Gateshead Millennium Bridge links the City to Gateshead Quays and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

Recent visits

Wednesday 25 March: John Denham MP, Secretary of State, Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills visited Newcastle University and the Centre for Life as part of a Jobs for the Future tour – looking at how innovation, joint working between universities and business, and skill development is creating the potential for new jobs and new enterprises.

Map 

Demographics for Newcastle

Mid-2007 Population Estimates

Children and learners

• School Capital Funding allocations for the next three years were announced in November 2007. As a result Newcastle City Council  received £11.4 million in 2008-09 (including £2.6 million for modernisation and £4.5 million for devolved formula funding), £14.8 million in 2009-10 (including £4.2 million from the Primary Capital Programme) and £17.1 million in 2010-11 (including £6.6 million from the Primary Capital Programme), although 2009-11 figures are only indicative at this stage.
• Newcastle is in wave 1 of the Building Schools for the Future programme, benefiting from funding of over £187 million. This covers 11 BSF schools, and 5 (1 secondary, 3 Primary and 1 special school) which were originally approved as part of an earlier PFI project. The first two rebuilt schools in this project (Walbottle and Kenton) are now open and based on the current timetable the last should be completed by March 2011. The council was on the shortlist for the best operational local education partnership at the Partnerships for Schools awards dinner which took place on 26th November 2008.
• The Excelsior Academy has replaced West Gate Community College with places for 1500 pupils aged 11-16 and a further 300 places for sixth form students. The Academy opened in September 2008.

Health and well being

• A new state-of-the-art NHS Walk in Centre at the city’s Jury’s Inn hotel opened in August 2006 and is run by Care UK. The centre provides commuters with access to healthcare on their way to and from work without the need for an appointment.
• Two new stem cell research labs have opened at Newcastle’s Centre for Life. The facilities cost £6.3 million and will also be used to investigate the causes of degenerative diseases.
• Plans were approved in August 2006 for a £7.7 million Clinical Research Unit to be built at the city’s general hospital. Building should begin in July 2007 and be completed in February 2008.

Crime

• During 2008-11 the partnership will receive a Home Office contribution to their Area Based Grant of £927,000. This equates to £309,000 per year. Their funding is to be used to support the delivery of the agreed local area agreement priorities.
• Over £265,000 has been allocated under the Home Office Basic Command Unit fund for 200-10 to help police play a full and active role in delivery of crime and disorder reduction partnership strategies and policing plans and contribute towards achievement of public service agreements and local targets.

Transport

• £102 million was allocated to Tyne and Wear from the integrated transport and maintenance block for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11. This will be used to support a number of initiatives/schemes including access for all, cycling, public transport, safety and security, demand management and environmental improvements.
• A Transport Innovation Fund award of £1.7 million was given to Tyne and Wear local authorities. The award was used to explore both hard demand management and public transport improvements. The study concluded that congestion charging would be an inappropriate solution to their transport problems in the current climate and as a consequence the Tyne and Wear authorities declined the opportunity to put forward a business case to Department for Transport. 
• It was announced in 2006 that up to £60 million will be available over four years through the Urban Congestion Performance Fund to encourage and motivate the local authorities in the 10 most congested areas in England to outperform their own 2010-11 congestion targets, on which the indicator is based. As a reward for their performance, Tyne and Wear were awarded £336,000 in 2007, £470,000 in 2008 and £874,000 in February 2009, making a total of £1.68 million so far.

Social inclusion and regeneration

• New Deal for Communities funding of nearly £55 million has been allocated over 10 years for Newcastle West Gate, with spending for 2004-05 around £9.7 million. Initiatives involving tackling crime and community safety.
• £8.2 million through Working Neighbourhoods Fund for 2008-09, £9.82 million for 2009-10 and £10.19 million for 2010-11 has been allocated to tackle areas of the highest concentrations of worklessness and lowest levels of skills and enterprise, faced by the most disadvantaged communities.
• £17.2 million has been allocated for 2009-10 and £16.3 million for 2010-11 under the Supporting People programme. This offers vulnerable people the opportunity to improve their quality of life by delivering high quality and strategically planned housing-related services which complement existing care services. 
  resources are also being provided through the Neighbourhood Element of Safer and Stronger Communities Fund totalling £412,800 in 2008-09 and £258,000 in 2009-10 when the programme will come to an end.

European funding

• In May 2008, Newcastle's Tyneside Cinema opened its restored and refurbished building. Housing three cinemas, including two brand new screens, and a dedicated education and teaching suite, the cinema offers the latest in cinema projection technology while rediscovering many original features which had been hidden prior to restoration. £1.1 million from the European Regional Development Fund was allocated towards the £6.5 million renovation.

Source: Office for National Statistics. Last updated 23 June 2009

Internet links

• Neighbourhood Statistics
• Regional Snapshot