Latest news with #SouthTynesideCouncil
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Complex' sinkhole repairs continue months on
A section of a street which was damaged when a sinkhole appeared remains cordoned off nearly four months later amid "complex" repairs. Part of Broughton Road in South Shields collapsed in late January, damaging several vehicles and leaving residents shocked. Councillor Ernest Gibson, lead member for neighbourhoods and climate change at South Tyneside Council, said repair work was "very complex" and required "full and thorough" analysis of underground conditions. He added the local authority was committed to reopening the road as soon as possible, although no dates have been confirmed yet. "Contractors and machinery remain on site at this time," Gibson said. The sinkhole was noticed at about 05:30 GMT on 27 January when car alarms in the affected street went off. No-one was reported to be injured. South Tyneside Council leader, Labour's Tracey Dixon, previously said she had "no idea" what caused the road to collapse. Gibson thanked residents for their patience and understanding as the council continued work towards a permanent repair. "Restoring the road and footpath involves deep excavations and assessments, before rebuilding the layers and backfilling the hole," he added. "It is being planned and designed to take into account workers' safety, the structural integrity of surrounding buildings and foundations and the impact on the underground sewer and utilities." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Cars swallowed by sinkhole leaves street shocked South Tyneside Council
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's first ever American-style shopping centre to be DEMOLISHED in huge overhaul this summer
Part of UK retail site to be flattened after council approval SHOP HAPPY Britain's first ever American-style shopping centre to be DEMOLISHED in huge overhaul this summer THE UK's first American-style shopping centre is set to be bulldozed this summer after the council gave the go-ahead for a major revamp. The Viking Centre, located in Jarrow town centre, will undergo partial demolition following approval from South Tyneside Council's planning department. 3 The overhaul is aimed at opening up space for future redevelopment Credit: Viking Centre 3 No objections were received during the public consultation period. Credit: Getty The plans focus on tearing down "a number of units that are largely vacant, including the former Wilko building on the corner of Bede Precinct and Ellison Street". Several of the neighbouring units have been standing empty, with some last used by charity shops. The overhaul is aimed at opening up space for future redevelopment. According to the approved application, the Jarrow Buffs Social Club at 96 Ellison Street is not included in the demolition area and will remain untouched. The application was submitted earlier this year by Sheet Anchor Investments Limited, the owners of the site, and was approved on April 29, 2025. No objections were received during the public consultation period. Planning officers noted that the method of demolition was appropriate for the site and that the restoration plans would leave the area in a 'tidy condition'. Demolition work is due to start in July and finish by 1 December 2025, reports Chronicle Live. That means the site could be cleared in time for the busy Christmas season. The buildings will be knocked down using a top-down method, with the roof removed first, followed by perimeter walls. Major high street retailer with 17 Scots stores to close 'a THIRD' of UK shops They will be demolished down to 'slab level'. Extra safety and environmental measures will be in place, including fencing, dust suppression systems, and a wheel wash system for all site vehicles. Council officials confirmed the site is not listed, not part of a conservation area, and holds no local or national protected status. Checks with the council's countryside team found minimal risk to protected species like bats or nesting birds. However, two informative notes were included as a precaution. Under planning rules, demolition must begin within five years – but documents confirm that work on the Viking Centre is firmly scheduled to begin this summer. The Sun has approached South Tyneside Council for comment. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Government orders council to submit housing plans
A local authority has been ordered to submit its house building plans to the government after repeatedly voting them down. Last week, South Tyneside Council rejected its controversial Local Plan document, which includes a scheme to build 1,200 homes on green belt land in Fellgate, for the second time. But Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has told the council it must submit its plan by 18 March as Labour attempts to ramp up housebuilding across the country. Council leader Tracey Dixon said she now had "no option" but to send the draft plan for public examination. All councils must have a Local Plan setting out how they will develop housing, employment and public facilities over the next 15 years. But in a letter to the council, Pennycook said it was particularly important for South Tyneside to have a new plan as it had a significant need for affordable housing. "The current South Tyneside Local Plan is one of the oldest in the country having been adopted in June 2007, meaning the policies it contains are significantly out of date," he said. "Having failed to submit its emerging plan for examination, the local authority faces the prospect of having to prepare a replacement plan, which will further extend the period in which it does not have an up-to-date plan in place." Housebuilding is a focus of the Labour government, which campaigned to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years and has set construction targets for councils. But Dixon said the blueprint was being developed to create the best communities for its residents. "Having an up-to-date Local Plan means that we are in control of development, and we can ensure it is high quality and accompanied by the necessary infrastructure," she said. "But it isn't just about building houses; it's about seeking the most sustainable locations for development, creating the kind of communities our residents deserve, with policies in place to protect community facilities and services, enhance nature and wildlife and reduce pollution." The public examination is expected to take place later this year. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Plans for 1,200 green belt homes rejected again Where does the government want 1.5 million new homes? South Tyneside Council
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
South Tyneside Council ordered to submit housing plans
A local authority has been ordered to submit its house building plans to the government after repeatedly voting them week, South Tyneside Council rejected its controversial Local Plan document, which includes a scheme to build 1,200 homes on green belt land in Fellgate, for the second Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has told the council it must submit its plan by 18 March as Labour attempts to ramp up housebuilding across the leader Tracey Dixon said she now had "no option" but to send the draft plan for public examination. All councils must have a Local Plan setting out how they will develop housing, employment and public facilities over the next 15 in a letter to the council, Pennycook said it was particularly important for South Tyneside to have a new plan as it had a significant need for affordable housing."The current South Tyneside Local Plan is one of the oldest in the country having been adopted in June 2007, meaning the policies it contains are significantly out of date," he said."Having failed to submit its emerging plan for examination, the local authority faces the prospect of having to prepare a replacement plan, which will further extend the period in which it does not have an up-to-date plan in place." Housebuilding is a focus of the Labour government, which campaigned to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years and has set construction targets for councils. But Dixon said the blueprint was being developed to create the best communities for its residents. "Having an up-to-date Local Plan means that we are in control of development, and we can ensure it is high quality and accompanied by the necessary infrastructure," she said."But it isn't just about building houses; it's about seeking the most sustainable locations for development, creating the kind of communities our residents deserve, with policies in place to protect community facilities and services, enhance nature and wildlife and reduce pollution."The public examination is expected to take place later this year. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Green belt fears ahead of housing plans vote
Plans for up to 1,200 homes and spaces for businesses on green belt land are to be voted on by councillors. The development in Fellgate had been rejected at a South Tyneside Council planning meeting in October. But ahead of a meeting on Thursday to decide on the scheme, the council said it fell in line with the government's plans to accelerate housebuilding and make it easier to build on what it describes as "low-quality green belt land". Opponent Dave Green, from Save the Fellgate Green Belt, said: "We should want to save this beautiful piece of land. Losing this would be extremely detrimental to the area as a whole." The council claims its Local Plan will provide people with "more access to affordable homes" and keep people in the local area. Councillor Margaret Meling, member for economic growth and transport, said: "The decision before us is now really quite stark. "If the current plan is not approved and submitted to the Secretary of State before 12 March, we will have to go back to the drawing board and allocate land for 623 homes a year rather than 309." The current publication draft of the Local Plan, which has been subject to two statutory public consultations, proposes to remove 5% of land from South Tyneside's green belt, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Nearly 3,000 people have signed a petition in the hopes of blocking plans. Campaigners argue the road network is not sufficient to support additional housing and the fields play an important role in protecting the neighbourhood from flooding. Mr Green said: "Congestion is already very bad round here and this would only add to that and this land continuously floods. Even today, there is surface water on the ground. "This space is essential for people's mental health and wellbeing, people come down here to get away from it and it does mean so much to local residents. "There are other areas where they could build." A decision is expected to be made at a council meeting on Thursday. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Fear over wildlife impact of green belt house plan Petition to stop new homes on green belt
