Investment in borough is highest ever

03-FEB-09

Issued by: Jeanette Hedley

North Tyneside Council is helping boost the region's construction industry in the difficult economic climate with record levels of capital spending totalling more than £100m this financial year.

The investment has delivered new schools, leisure facilities including the Whitley Bay Pool and revamp of the Playhouse, Whitley Bay, regeneration projects and improvement of council housing.

It takes the total spending since April 2005 to £313m.

And over the next ten years the Strategic Investment Plan proposes spending totalling £680 millions a meeting of the Council will be told tonight (Tuesday, February 3) with a further £112m being spent on new sheltered housing for older people.

"In this difficult economic climate we are leading the way and continuing with our investment ambitions to deliver the projects that help boost the construction industry, grow the borough economy and deliver a better quality of life for residents," said Elected mayor, John Harrison.

The Strategic Investment Plan sets out the capital schemes. linked to the Council Plan and its themes, and every project has funding needed identified.

Among the biggest projects within the plan is the Building Schools for the Future Programme, which, subject to final approvals, total £216m over the next ten years, and the £130m that will be spent on new sheltered housing and extra care for older people.

Many of the new additions to the plan are in response to public feedback, including:

- Five new skills and enterprise centres to support specialist vocational education for 17-19 years olds to improve their employment opportunities.

- Multiversity as part of the North Bank of the Tyne regeneration

- Up to 100 additional youth and play facilities across the borough, including a youth facility and adventure play area in each part of the borough

- Improvements to 'major' parks in the four areas of the borough.

- Improvements to the East Palmersville Sports Ground

- £10m for the reclamation of the Fenwick Eccles site

In the last four years £113m has been invested in improving the Council's Housing stock to bring them up to Decent Homes Standard.

A further £161m is to be invested over the next 10 years, including a new doors and windows programme for council homes, taking them above the Decent Homes standard.

And if the council's bid is successful for £150m government funding from the Round 6 Housing PFI a further 1,000 new affordable homes will be built in the Wallsend area.

This will complement the delivery of the North Bank of the Tyne Regeneration project - a key scheme in the council's plans to deliver economic growth.

Other initiatives include: improvements to St Mary's Island, and to the sea front realm at Cullercoats, Tynemouth and the Fish Quay; the reclamation of the former Fenwick Eccles colliery site; and investment in the borough's retail centres including Whitley Bay, Wallsend and North Shields,Longbenton, Forest Hall and Killingworth

Of the £680million total in the plan £435million will come from government grants and contributions. The remainder will be raised from borrowing, and receipts from council assets. In addition the council is committed to levering in addional private investment.